Letter: Ulster County RRA is accountable to taxpayers
May 30, 2021

Dear Editor,

The Freeman published an article on May 28 regarding the Ulster County comptroller seeking to audit the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) composting operation.

UCRRA is distinctly not a county department. In 1986, the state Legislature created UCRRA, a public benefit corporation. As such, UCRRA is autonomous from county government in distinct ways, and notably UCRRA does not receive any taxpayer funding to execute its mission.

As a public authority, UCRRA is required by Public Authorities Law to file financial and budgetary information with the Authorities Budget Office and the Office of the New York State Comptroller. Financial reports are public and transparently presented on the UCRRA website, and routinely reviewed at Board of Directors meetings.

With such controls in place and clearly established structure for the agency, it’s questionable why the comptroller would choose these channels to access financial information that is already available.

UCRRA is proud to serve Ulster County with its mission to manage waste with a focus on resource conservation, efficiently and economically. In 2018 and 2019, UCRRA was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association, in pursuit of our dedication to fiscal responsibility and excellence.

UCRRA seeks to be a valued community asset, and will continue to work collaboratively with Ulster County to achieve shared goals in climate-smart leadership. The agency will continue to manage Ulster County’s waste in an environmentally and financially responsible manner as we plan for the future of new solid waste disposal options.

Katherine Beinkafner, Chair, Board of Directors, Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency

 

Letter: Comptroller’s Probe of the RRA Politically Motivated

July 11th 2021 

Dear Editor,

The mission of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency is to protect public health and the environment, and effectively and efficiently manage Ulster County’s waste with a focus on resource conservation and sustainability.

The mission of the Agency is not to play political football, nor to be a political football for politicians, yet here we are … again. The recent continuous attacks by the Ulster County Comptroller, March Gallagher, against the Agency is nothing but an attempt to grab the low-hanging fruit and use it for self-promotion.

At a meeting with Ms. Gallagher and her staff on May 28, Ms. Gallagher was told that there were zero issues with the Agency providing her with information that she requested, as it is public information. Ms. Gallagher was informed that more time would be needed to produce the voluminous records. It was also explained to Ms. Gallagher that there was an issue amongst contentious current and former employees that a politically based report would escalate. This simple request for additional time was met with an adamant “NO!”

So, if the Agency was willing to be fully transparent and hand over the requested information, why did Ms. Gallagher turn us down? Why is the county comptroller forcing us to fight her excessive reach of authority?

Because this was never about the information (which was offered to her and available to the public). It was because every “hero” needs a “villain.” In this case, a self-proclaimed hero to the taxpayers with aspirations to be the county executive.

Timothy DeGraff, Executive Director, Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency

 

Letter: Ulster County Comptroller Undermines RRA’s Efforts

 August 4, 2021 at 9:42 a.m.

Dear Editor:

Ulster County has a long-established environmental commitment, through Climate Smart certification, renewable energy projects and more. Ulster County has led New York state with model recycling programs and policy, and with firm stances on plastic bags, single-use plastics, expanded polystyrene and composting.

Efforts like those by Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher undermine the very environmental ethos of the county, crusading against a community asset of which the Resource Recovery Agency and Ulster County are very proud. This political nonsense is detrimental to our shared goals: increasing composting to reduce the waste stream, and promoting compost to build soil health and steward natural resources.

Outside of Ulster County, the RRA is held in extremely high regard by our peers in the industry and is frequently invited to recycling conferences to showcase our leadership in composting. The RRA has an open door to share our successful model program and mentor municipalities. The agency has provided technical support to other communities (Bethlehem, White Plains, Cortlandt, Scarsdale) and counties (Columbia, Westchester, Orange, Warren, Sullivan) in New York state. Industry leaders across the state, including our regulators, refer groups and governments to the Ulster County RRA to gain insight from our experiential knowledge, best practices, and excellence in responsible financing.

The political tactics by the comptroller and biased reporting by the Daily Freeman inhibit the growth of recycling in our community and are detrimental to the valued relationship between the RRA and the county government, which is critical to our shared vision for zero waste.

The Ulster County RRA strives to be perceived as a valued asset and essential public service in the community it serves.

Angelina Peone, Director of Sustainability, Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency