Serving the Towns of Wawarsing, Crawford, Mamakating, Rochester and Shawangunk, and everything in between
(none)   
SJ FB page   

Gutter Gutter
Grant Time!
Applications Must Be To State Now;Town Admits Village Charge A Boo Boo

WAWARSING – While the deadline hasn't been announced yet, the town's grant writer Mark Blauer is urging the board and supervisor to anticipate another round of competitive grant seeking, including an additional $600,000 CDBG grant that would set in motion phase three improvements for the Napanoch sewer district.

Those improvements would include a new sludge pumping system, a new roof on the sludge processing building, additional treatment and hydraulic improvements at the wastewater treatment facility, and continued rehab of the district's clay sewer collection system.

Traditionally, Blauer said at Wawarsing's March 19 meeting, the hamlets of Napanoch and Kerhonkson as well as the village of Ellenville have qualified under the income requirements of the federally-funded Community Development Block Grant program, which figures are derived from an income survey conducted in the area and kept confidential.

Blauer noted that in total, the town has received about $3.6 million in grant funds in recent years, allowing for the completion of several major projects, as well as the newer focus on the aging Napanoch sewer district.

Last year, the CDBG application was available April 28 and due June 16, like most funding available from the state for local projects these days. Blauer is anticipating similar conditions this year.

"The small cities applications are submitted as part of what's called the consolidated funding application process," Blauer said, adding that the CFA is essentially a free-for-all offered once a year. "Either you get your application in, or see you next year."

Which means that the town, as well as any local economic development projects being planned over recent months, have to get their applications in gear now for responses in December and implementation next year.

"We've had the very good fortune of having a number of these projects approved and they've made a lot of good improvements." Blauer said. "We're hoping to continue that this year."

In other news, the anticipated legal backlash after a recently approved town-wide building moratorium seems to have fizzled out.

"The town board recently passed a resolution confirming that the application filed by the owner of the former Tamarack Hotel property was not covered by the moratorium as an application had been filed before the adoption of the moratorium," said attorney Steven Barshov, who had been present — and quite vocal — when the moratorium was first enacted. "None of the other property owners have decided to sue as of now."

Approximately twenty residents retained Barshov in anticipation of bringing a legal suit against the town after the town board approved a six-month moratorium on all large subdivisions and developments.

Additionally, it has been determined that an accounting glitch is at fault for a recent strife between village and town leaders.

The village had received a bill from the town in the amount of $56,333 for the village share of the revaluation. Only problem, mayor Jeff Kaplan told the Journal, is the village doesn't owe anything — a point he brought up at the town meeting.

"It's a town-wide expense; it should be handled as a line item A," Kaplan said, noting that an agreement between the last board administration and village conveyed the same, with both parties agreeing that village people and town people were one-in-the-same. "Everyone in the town should be treated equally."

As it turns out, councilman Terry Houck explained, the charge was an accounting mistake made during the drafting of the 2014 budget when it was prepared in 2013. One, he continued, that the board is trying to rectify under the advisement of their new accounting firm Cooper Arias LLP in Mongaup Valley.



Gutter Gutter
LP Transportation - Mechanics Needed






Gutter