Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Landfill And Regional Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public speakers urge opposition to Ulster County landfill proposal and raise concerns about federal immigration letters
Summary
During public comment, speakers urged the Sullivan County Legislature to oppose a proposed Ulster County landfill sited on the Sullivan border and voiced concern about recent letters from a national legal group targeting elected officials over sanctuary policies.
Members of the public used the Legislature's public-comment period on Jan. 21 to urge opposition to a proposed landfill in neighboring Ulster County and to flag a national legal group's letters targeting elected officials who declared sanctuary policies.
Kevin Roberts, identified in the transcript as the minority leader of the Ulster County Legislature, addressed Sullivan County lawmakers to urge them to oppose a proposed 100-acre landfill located on the Ulster/Sullivan border. Roberts told the Sullivan County body the landfill would require large capital costs (he estimated bonds between $50 million and $80 million in his remarks) and would likely require importing waste, potentially routing truck traffic through local back roads. Roberts thanked the Sullivan County Legislature for taking up a resolution opposing the Ulster County landfill.
Other public speakers discussed nonburning alternatives for trash disposal and urged regional cooperation on waste-management planning. A speaker identified as Star Hesse asked the county to seek nonburning disposal options and to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions to manage refuse flows.
Separately, a commenter raised concerns about America First Legal and publicized letters sent to hundreds of elected officials allegedly warning about sanctuary policies. The speaker referenced national news coverage and said letters had been sent to an unknown set of county offices; the transcript indicates local officials did not necessarily confirm receipt of the specific letter mentioned.
Why it matters: A proposed landfill adjacent to Sullivan County could affect traffic, local roads, and environmental quality in border communities. Public comments calling for interjurisdictional coordination and nonburning disposal options reflect local concern over regional waste planning. The immigration-related comments recorded public anxiety about aggressive legal communications from national groups directed at local elected officials.
What speakers said - Kevin Roberts (Ulster County Legislature minority leader): Urged Sullivan County to oppose the Ulster County landfill proposal, warned of large capital costs and likely imported waste, and described the landfill as sited on the Sullivan County border. - Star Hesse (public commenter): Urged county officials to pursue nonburning trash-disposal alternatives and regional coordination. - Anonymous commenter / resident: Referenced letters from America First Legal and national media coverage; the transcript records uncertainty about which local offices, if any, had received the specific letters.
Next steps: The transcript records that the legislature took up a related resolution (noted earlier on the agenda) opposing the landfill; the public-comment entries became part of the meeting record for legislators to consider in subsequent discussions.
