KIRYAS JOEL—Cars were backed up as far as the eye could see on the way to a town board meeting at Bais Rachel Banquet Hall in Kiryas Joel on Sept. 8. The Monroe Town Board voted 4-1 approving the annexation by Kiryas Joel of 163.8 acres and disapproving annexation of 507.4 acres.
For more than an hour, council members tried to explain their position on the proposals to the crowd as hecklers in the audience shouted at them. The board said that this is not over, and Monroe residents now have a 30 day waiting period during which further negotiations are possible.
Strong Response
In light of the town board’s vote, County Executive Steven Neuhaus has asked L. Stephen Brescia, Chairman of the Orange County Legislature, to convene a special legislative session to consider the county’s options. “Time is of the essence,” Neuhaus said. “The options we have available to us today will not exist in 30 days.”
