The Mamakating town board voted unanimously Tuesday night to pursue a municipal moratorium on data center developments, moving quickly to establish local rules before commercial applications are filed.

The initial resolution directs Town Board Attorney Ben Gailey to draft a formal local law establishing a 12-to-18-month application freeze while the state reviews environmental guidelines. Board member Mike McCormick noted that the proactive step is legally necessary to protect local zoning and power, and prevent immediate litigation from developers.

Town Supervisor Pete Goodman clarified that the initial vote has no immediate legal weight to become a binding local law just yet. The town must first review the drafted text, schedule a public hearing for community feedback, and hold a final adoption vote. The law will formally define facility classifications, set timelines, and include provisions, allowing the board to extend the pause by resolution. In this time frame, the board will study municipal zoning options to distinguish between small, low impact, local commercial servers and massive industrial utilities.

The board's defensive stance aligned directly with a packed room full of surrounding residents and conservationists. Attendees adamantly opposed utility-scale projects, citing severe concerns of massive grid strain, the depletion of local aquifers, and long-term infrastructure burdens on working class families, a sentiment echoed clearly by a local mother of three. Speakers urged the community to remain united regardless of any differences and to be wary of and reject any monetary payouts from lawyers.

Representatives of the Basha Kill Area Association (BKAA) specifically warned the board of a “clustering loophole,” where tech companies link multiple small micro-centers together to bypass aggregate permitting rules. They cautioned that the unceasing 65 decibel ambient hum from industrial cooling drones trigger chronic stress and habitat disruption in native wildlife, violating ecotourism goals. The town has been protecting these goals since the 1890s.

Local librarian Mary Allison Farley summarized the community's sentiment by stating, “The only data centers I support are our public libraries."

After public comments, the board transitioned to standard town logistics. The Highway Department reported that crews are applying final application coats for the paving of Pine Kill Road and Upper Pine Kill Road before winter chip-and-seal maintenance begins. The board approved a tree clearance bid from John’s Tree Service at $2,200 per day for a two-man crew, approved the surplus sale of a heavy dump truck plow frame authorized by the superintendent, and accepted annual bids for gasoline, fuel oil, heating, diesel, and sand. The board rejected a backup winter road salt quote that came in 40 percent higher than the current state bid rate.

Ecology Organics

Additional municipal items passed include authorizing J&G Law to represent the planning board in an active article 78 lawsuit filed by Ecology Organics over a denied permit, adopting the 2026 Sullivan County Hazard Mitigation Plan, and reappointing of Benjamin Worth to the Board of Assessment Review through September 30, 2031.

Ecology Organics proposed a composting facility on McDonald Road, with ten to twenty trucks moving in and out of the site per day, bringing material to be composted, and then shipping compost out. Mulch would have been the primary product produced.

In July, after about seven months of consideration, the board voted to deny the application after adopting a resolution citing concerns about contamination and impacts to the area’s aquifer.

Other Business

The August meeting minutes were approved, standard modifications were passed, and ratified a change order for the O&W Rail Trail Bridge reconstruction yielding a $5,200 price reduction. Supervisor Peter Goodman was appointed as the Voting Delegate for the upcoming New York Association of Towns’ meeting. The board also adopted the Association's "Bill of Rights" resolution to advocate for local zoning autonomy against state mandates.

Fall and Winter Events

The upcoming town fall clean-up from October 2-4 will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the dumpsters behind the Town Hall.

Also, a free health and wellness fair will be held at town hall on October 3, featuring vaccinations and health screenings, and a drone display. There will be free flu, Covid, RSV, shingles vaccines, Narcan training, children's vision testing and a Touch-a-Truck set-up alongside a drone expo.

Family package tickets for a winter bus trip to the Rockettes at Radio City will soon be for sale. Packages of two tickets go on sale for $150 on October 13. One ticket attendee must be a child.

The Mamakating Historical Society will host a new Borscht Belt historical marker dedication ceremony on October 18 at 2 p.m. at the corner of Summitville Road and Route 209.

The annual Town Park Halloween family festival in Bloomingburg will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 23.