Democrat file photo COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSIONER Bill Pammer will leave his job in August to teach at John Jay College.

Commissioner Pammer resigns

By Jeanne Sager
MONTICELLO — Dr. William Pammer, Sullivan County’s Commissioner of Planning and Environmental Management, tendered his resignation this week, effective August 21.
According to a letter Pammer sent County Manager David Fanslau on Tuesday, he’s leaving to become a tenured professor with the Department of Public Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.
Pammer has been planning commissioner in the county for five years, guiding it through hot-button issues like gas drilling and less controversial but equally important tasks like mapping the natural and manmade resources of the region.
“The Planning Division has a very dedicated and talented staff, and it has been an honor to oversee and collaborate with such a talented group of professionals,” Pammer wrote.
As it is part of his current duties, Pammer is also resigning from his position as chairman of both the Emerald Corporate Center Board and the Emerald Springs Water Company, which supplies water to the Rock Hill corporate park.
Legislature Chair Jonathan Rouis said he’ll be missed.
“Bill has done a good job,” Rouis remarked yesterday. “Replacing somebody with Bill’s credentials … will be a challenge.”
Fanslau said that Pammer is earning $85,000 a year, but any replacement may not be paid the same, as the county manager plans to review the scope and duties of the office before making a decision.