OPENING ITEMS
Call Meeting to Order
Pledge of allegiance
Announcements
Presentation
Correspondence
Payment of Bills
DIVISION REPORTS
Some reports have been sent to the board in advance of the meeting, therefore they are not read out loud at the meeting; copies of all reports may be obtained at the Town Clerks Office.
Highway
Water & Sewer
Building Department/ Code Enforcement
Fire & Safety Inspections – 0
Complaint/Violation Inspections - 0
Certificate of Occupancy – 2
Certificate of Compliance – 8
Building Permits – 10
New Homes – 0
Accessory Building/Garage – 3
Renovation/Alteration/Addition – 1
Camping - 0
Chimney/Fuel – 0
Accessory Building Commercial - 0
New Commercial Construction – 0
Renovation/Alteration – Commercial Construction - 0
Deck - 1
Demolition Permit - 1
Driveway Permit – 0
Electrical – 1
Logging Permits – 0
Mechanical - 1
Permit Renewals – 0
Pool – 0
Roof Replacement – 0
Roof Structure - 0
Septic Permits – 1
Sidewalk - 0
Sign Permit – 1
Solar Permit – 0
Well - 0
Flood Plain Permit - 0
C/O and violation search – 18
Dangerous and Unsafe Building – 0
Complaints Received – 0
Complaints Closed – 0
Violations Issued – 0
Violations Corrected – 0
Previous Violations Closed/Corrected - 0
Stop Work – 0
Monies collected by this office from August 1, 2020, to August 31, 2020, are $3.020.00.
Respectfully,
Jim P Crowley, Building Inspector
JPC/js
Attached is a copy of the Building Monthly Report
Assessor
Upper Delaware Council
The presentation was given by DEC biologist Kevin Clarke who reported on the Monguap Valley Wildlife Management Area.
National Park Service;
Personnel Changes;
Acting Supt Darren Bosh stated that the search for the position of Community/Land Use Planner has been closed, and an offer being made to their chosen candidate. Darren also expects that the position of Park Superintendent will be filled in October as well, which is when his time here is over.
Additional protection for Historic Bridges; Darren announced that the Tusten Stone Arch Bridge, the Skinners Falls Bridge, and the Hankins Creek Stone Arch Bridge have been added to the UDSRR Outstandingly Remarkable Cultural Values which offers these striations enhanced protection.
Overuse of River Accesses:
NPS data for visitation supports what we already know, which is that we are experiencing huge numbers of additional visitors this year. The data does not include Labor Day. For example, Skinners Falls, 2019 …11,714 2020 22,610.
Apparently these numbers do not translate into additional funding for trash, policing etc. Bill Rudge from DEC reported that all DEC sites have had the same experience this summer. Their usual strategy is to limit parking, which hasn’t been working well this summer. There is a committee working on increasing parking at the Mongaup Access in Lumberland since parking along route 97 is hazardous.
UDC
Five Year Strategic Planning Retreat. It Will be held at the Narrowsburg Union on Saturday, October 3, 2020, from 9:00 am to 4:00 PM….I have to work that morning and cannot get there until 2:00 PM, so am looking for someone to represent Tusten in the Morning session. I am on the Steering Committee and will be submitting items for the agenda, based on previous UDC discussions about what is important to us. Anyone who feels strongly about the direction UDC will be taking over the next 5 years should get in touch with me. The event is by invitation only. TAG grants
TAG Grants
Tusten will be awarded $10,000 for Phase One of the Comprehensive Plan. Jane has submitted an application for 2021 for Phase Two, which is being reviewed tonight 9/8/2020 at the UDC’s annual Project Review TAG meeting.
Other Upcoming Events:
FUDR Water, Water everywhere virtual Conference is happening October 14, 2020. For details, get in touch with FUDR
Knotweed Control Presentation; at 7:00 PM at the beginning of the UDC’s monthly meeting at the Narrowsburg Union.
Energy Committee
In attendance: Brandi Merolla, Jennifer Porter, Scott Porter, Coryanne Mansel, Naomi Holoch, Catherine Lewis.
October 10 is the HORSE shipment date from Seattle. No exact delivery date yet to Tusten.
September 26 the TEC will set up an information tent at The Union's Farmer's Market. Flyers will be available to those interested in learning about the HORSE food digester.
Ribbon-cutting for the HORSE will be around Halloween, date to be determined.
Invited to attend will be Senator Jen Metzger, the TEC, participating Tusten restaurants and food merchants, Supervisor Ben Johnson, the press, and more. The DEC wants to send a representative to show their support after awarding us the fully-funded grant for this project.
All attending required to wear masks and to social distance. We will also live-stream on the TEC Facebook page.
TEC designing an invite and writing a press release.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sullivan Waste Reduction Alliance meeting 9/2/2020
In attendance: Brandi Merolla, Bill Cutler and Heather Brown of Sullivan County Waste Management, Mary Paige from Ethelbert B. Crawford Library.
Brandi gave a comprehensive summary of the Tusten HORSE project as well as the Tusten LED Streetlight project.
The New York State Plastic Bag Ban was upheld and made even more specific. The county is seeing a great reduction of plastic in trees, waterways, and on land.
Brandi gave a summary of the TREX soft plastic recycling program. Monticello is now part of the TREX initiative following Tusten's success.
Bill Cutler spoke about recycling, transfer stations, sorting, and the differences in plastics. Because we have a huge influx of new residents since the pandemic began, Bill wants the county and towns to educate newcomers about proper waste disposal including medication drop-offs.
Heather Brown has seen a drastic reduction in state monies for waste management due to COVID, but she is applying for as many grants as she can, forging forward.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TEC HORSE Meeting 9/3/2020
In attendance:
Brandi Merolla, Jennifer Porter, Scott Porter, Coryanne Mansel, Star Hesse, Naomi Holoch, Catherine Lewis.
Ben is having 2 railroad ties made by Kevin Freda to support the HORSE on the ground. He's also spoken with electricians to connect the HORSE to the existing electric panel.
Participating Tusten businesses being trained in food scrap collection are:
The Blue Fox, Gerard’s, The Laundrette, Pete’s Market, The Heron, 2 Queens, The Food Pantry.
Brandi has picked up 40+ food grade buckets for collection to be given to food merchants. They have been donated by Weis Market in Honesdale. She has adhered stickers on the buckets labeling them as food scrap collection vessels for the HORSE.
Our end product of Probiotic Plant food is of interest to several local parties to purchase in the future.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LED Streetlights
After 8 years, Tusten is very close to realizing all-new, town-owned LED streetlights throughout the town. Ben, Brandi, and NYPA will be having a final design meeting to confirm all lighting decisions for Tusten's streetlights on Sept 10. Following that meeting, all materials including fixtures and bulbs will be ordered. Delivery time should be 10 weeks and installation will take 1 week to complete.
TREX Soft Plastic Waste
Tusten collected 500 pounds in August yielding a 3rd free bench from TREX. This bench will go in front of the library.
To date, after 1 year, Tusten has collected 4,988 pounds!
Brandi Merolla
Chair Tusten Energy Committee
9/7/2020
Zoning Re-Write Committee
Grants
Moving along, working on securing proper "right of way" on properties that will be used for the temporary bridge.
Water PER with Delaware Engineering
An archeological survey is in the process of being conducted. The next step will be to schedule a public hearing. The usual NYS grant cycle has not been announced at this time. Speculation is that current NY financials do not support the usual grant programs. In the meantime, we continue to seek alternative funding sources for our upgrade project.
Sullivan Renaissance
We ere not awarded the Golden Feather grant. There was only one Golden Feather recipient....the Town of Fallsburg won the grant.
Upper Delaware Council
The final reports for the 2019/2020 Zoning re-write and the Comprehensive plan were submitted on time. The 2021 grant request for Part 2 of the Comprehensive Plan was also submitted.
PUBLIC COMMENT
10 minutes will be given for public comment. Please keep your comments directed to the board, comments should pertain to agenda items only. All other comments or questions may be taken up with individual board members after the meeting or at another time.
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
FURTHER RESOLVED, that in accordance with Article 57-A:
(a) only those records will be disposed of that are described in Retention & Disposition Schedule for New York Local Government Records (LGS-1), after they have met the minimum retention periods described therein;
(b) only those records will be disposed of that do not have sufficient administrative, fiscal, legal, or historical value to merit retention beyond established legal minimum periods.
PUBLIC COMMENT
10 minutes will be given for public comment. Please keep your comments directed to the board, comments should pertain to agenda items only. All other comments or questions may be taken up with individual board members after the meeting or at another time.
CLOSING ITEMS
Board Comment
Meeting reminder
Adjournment