Officials hear from public about proposed ICE facility

Though the proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Chester lies within the village borders, town officials received an earful from an angry public at their Jan. 14 board meeting.

Over a dozen people spoke at the meeting, many residing outside of Chester. Carol Sotiropolis of the Town of Monroe came to urge the town to pass a resolution in support of MELT Act, a state law which would seek to ban ICE agents from wearing face masks and require them to wear name tags while operating in the state of New York. She is lobbying for support from both the Town and the Village of Monroe, as well.

“To put an ICE community in the middle of this community in my view would be a tremendous slap in the face to the progress we have made. We don’t need the further militarization of our county,” said attorney Michael Sussman, who was the 2025 Democratic candidate for Orange County executive in November “I think it would be tragic for the infrastructure of fear and hate to be spread one iota in our community.”

“All my life I’ve been told to go back to my country ... the detention center sends a message that our community is ok with this ... it also sends the message they are okay to come after any one of you even if you don’t look like me,” Middletown resident Lillian O’Brien said.

Supervisor Brandon Holdridge said 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025. He also mentioned the recent killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis and the shooting of two others in Portland, Ore. “I don’t want that happening in Chester,” he said.

Holdridge added he’s been in close contact with Congressman Pat Ryan, New York State Sen. James Skoufis and County Executive Steve Neuhaus, all of whom oppose the placing of an ICE facility in Chester. He also said he did not see any economic benefit that it would bring to the town.

In other news, the board voted to allow an opt-out for residents to cellular end point water meters. Whether to impose a fee to opt-out will be discussed at a later meeting.

“Charging people extra to avoid something they never requested transforms a personal choice into a penalty,” Chris Maurer, who oppose an opt-out fee said, pointing out that Chester passed a resolution in 2019 requesting Orange and Rockland not charge a fee for opting out of smart meters.

“Individuals believe they suffer medical consequences from these exposures” Sussman added. “Imposing a fee creates a barrier and a symbol that is not necessary.”

In other business:

Mike Popoloski was approved to the Planning Board. However, vacancies still remain as Mark Roberson submitted his resignation and Giusepe Cassara also recently resigned upon his election to the Town Board. They also voted to approve a retainer with Sokoloff Stern LLP to represent them in the Barry v. Reilly III case and to raise the retainer for Planning Board attorneys Drake Loeb from $225 per hour to $250 per hour.

A three-year contract with the PBA that includes annual raises of 2.25 percent was also approved. The board approved a new three-year contract with Police Chief Daniel Doellinger that includes an annual raise of 3 percent. Cassara abstained from both votes because he was not present for the negotiations as it was before his time.

The board discussed the idea of dedicating a portion of Kings Highway to the memory of State Trooper William V. McDonagh, who died on duty in the town of Chester. It was the idea of the Sugar Loaf Historic Society.

Last on the agenda, the board voted to accept the RFP response from Harris, Beach and Mertha for review of religious use of property in the AR-3 zone. The topic came up in the fall as a result of change in zoning in the comprehensive plan and its impacts on Camp Monroe specifically.