News

If you're interested in the art and history of South Mountain Road in
Clarkstown you'll want to visit the Historical Society of Rockland County
in New City this summer. Susan Deeks is the executive director of the
Society and says South Mountain Road has managed to retain much of the
rural character that attracted artists to it more than a century ago...

The exhibit is a joint project with the Rockland Center for the Arts. It
runs through the end of October and can be experienced Wednesdays-Fridays
& Sundays, from noon to 4 pm, and it is free. For more information click here. 

Rockland’s County Executive marked the fourth anniversary of the Rockland
Codes Initiative with a press conference at an apartment complex in South
Nyack Friday. The complex had challenged the county in court over sewage
leaks, non-functioning ovens, and other violations, lost, and has since
paid its fines and brought its apartments up to code. County Executive Ed
Day said the RCI has been successfully targeting slumlords in the county…

North Rockland state senator James Skoufis, who is spearheading a state
investigation looking into code enforcement in four areas of the state,
including Ramapo, said other municipalities could learn from Rockland’s
approach…

Skoufis said he is nearing the end of his investigation and putting
together a report soon. He’s been looking at Newburgh, Mount Vernon and
Albany, in addition to Ramapo.

Rockland’s County Executive was cleared last week by the acting county
district attorney of allegations that he illegally gave contracts to a
White Plains law firm. The Journal News reported Ed Day asked for the
investigation after Day’s son, Orangetown Supervisor Chris Day, his
daughter-in-law, and others made the accusations on social media. Day
announced in April that he wouldn't seek re-election as Orangetown
supervisor.

Jeremy Schulman has been chosen by the county executive to be the new
Rockland Director of Economic Development and Tourism. Schulman has served
as CEO and President of the Rockland Economic Development Corporation
since November 2017. The future of the REDC is unclear, as the county
executive also announced the formation of the new Rockland Advisory
Council for Economic Development. The $316,000 previously budgeted by the
county for the REDC will be put into the Economic Development and Tourism
office.

O&R and IBEW union local 503 reached a tentative agreement on a new
four-year labor contract Saturday. The current contract, which has been in
effect since June first 2014, has been extended so normal business
operations could continue, and give the union time to conduct its
ratification vote. The terms of the agreement were not released.