Budget Cuts & Sewer Talk
Town Board Action

Also, according to town Supervisor Peter DiSclafani, expect movement – and some controversy, as usual – after this coming Wednesday’s November 5 budget hearing and vote, when the town holds its monthly meeting a bit off schedule due to the election.
The preliminary budget plan, filled with 4% raises for all public officials and non-union employees plus a whopping 18% increase for the towns ambulance squad, caught attention when first revealed last month, prompting one councilman to note that while this would be a hard winter for town employees it would also be hard for taxpayers.
While the overall hike in the total tax levy is slated to be just under 7%, an increase that most taxpayers in previous years have grudgingly lived with, the levy for the general fund portion of the budget, or the non-highway department half, makes up all of it. In itself, the general fund is slated to leap by 11%, a figure that, in previous years, has made taxpayers squirm and demand an explanation.
In contrast the Highway department side of the budget has an increase of less than one quarter of one percent. With a tax levy increase of only $27,302, the Highway side of the equation drags the general funds increase down.
On Monday, October 27, the board sharpened the budget axe, but has yet to use it. There was discussion of eliminating raises for all elected officials and dropping the raises for employees to only 2%, though nothing was decided. The board is also considering the elimination of the Building Inspector position that was instituted in 2007, though it was noted that the department makes money for the town, so cutting it out and having the county take over the building department chores would also send any revenue from the department out of town and into county coffers.
There are other lines in the budget that could stand reduction, said Councilman Vincent Bernstein, pointing out a $7000 line called “planning and management development.” This year only half that amount was used, and that was for a last minute hiring of a consultant to prepare comments on the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park.
Other ideas included charging $90 per child for the town’s popular summer recreation program, which has historically been free to residents. The budget for Shandaken Day may also see a cut from $5000 down to $4000. Two local veteran organizations, both which were set to receive $2000 each from the town, may only get $1500 each.
As for the town board agenda expected to get hot at times, as usual, this past Wednesday, DiSclafani noted that a report was in from consultants paid for by New York City to study feasibility for a lower expense reed-bed system to treat wastewater for the town. The supervisor said that he was expecting some flack for not having gone through a lengthy Request for Proposal process for the study, which he said could be done by only a handful of companies, with the one hired clearly the one to hire.
He added, later, that he didn’t expect much from recent rumors about problems between the town and the not-for-profit SHARP Committee, unless it was raised by someone at the meeting.
He did note that with a January 31 deadline for a second look at the possibility of a sewer system to be paid for by New York City fast approaching, he’d like to have another request for an extension considered. After all, he noted, given the current economic climate, any input of $15 million would be nothing to turn down automatically, especially if the job at hand could be brought in for far less.
More after the meeting...

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Evaluating Rising Needs
In Shandaken the town’s welfare officer, Eve Smith expects to see the number of those in need increase.
In Olive, meetings have been held amongst town board members and various church officials, and all have been asked to start stocking their larders, and keeping extra spaces free in their homes, in case the worst should happen to their neighbors over the coming months.
“People are losing their jobs and things are more expensive,”Smith said of the region’s fate, and what’s being done to meet it.
Smith, who says her job is to be an advocate for the town’s residents, also noted that people who own homes and have jobs are entitled to receive many benefits as long they meet financial guidelines. By her estimate, a person needs to be making $18 an hour, or more, to make ends meet these days, and she knows there many in town that don’t come close to that.
Smith urges people to cast off old stigmas about “welfare” and seek benefits that can make the difference between keeping your home and losing it. She notes how one local woman she’s been in touch with, who was working until she fell ill, was suddenly unable to pay her mortgage and put food on the table. After choosing the former over the latter, she was convinced to apply for food stamps. Smith said that the program has not gotten the women out of the woods entirely but she is at least able to swing the mortgage payments and get proper nutrition now.
Smith said many families in Shandaken and Olive are in a similar spot.
With cold weather already here, she says now is the time to take a look at what programs are available to help, even if it’s just in case.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County is hosting “Save Energy, Save Dollars,” a free Weatherization and Energy Savings Workshop, at several locations. According to Cooperative Extension’s Jude DeFalco, the majority of a home’s annual energy budget is consumed for space heating purposes. But he points out that by adding insulation and using advanced air sealing techniques, a home’s annual heating costs can be reduced by over 85%.
“Even with heating fuel oil at $4.50 per gallon, the annual heating bill for a well insulated and air-sealed 2,200 square foot New York home could be reduced to as low as $200 per year,” DeFalco said. “While it is easiest to insulate and air-seal a home while it is under construction, it is possible to retrofit existing homes.”
Cooperative Extension is hosting Save Energy, Save Dollars, a free Weatherization and Energy Savings Workshop designed to help people reduce their electric and heating bills resulting in significant savings year round, on Tuesday, November 25, 2008 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Town of Shandaken Town Hall. Pre-registration is required, and the workshop is open not just to Shandaken residents but to those in Olive, Woodstock and anywhere else in the county.
All pre-registered attendees will receive a free Energy Saving Gift Pack.
Cooperative Extensions Barbara Grumberg made it clear this week what the idea behind the workshop is.
“SAVE MONEY!” she said. For more information or to reserve a seat call 340-3990 or email: bag23@cornell.edu.
Also, the SHARP Committee, a non-profit housing agency, has low interest loans for heating and energy upgrades for homeowners in Woodstock, Olive and Shandaken. Contact Buffy Kibe at 688-5777 for more information on what is available or stop by the SHARP offices on main street Phoenicia.
As for food, Smith notes that the food programs in Pine Hill and Phoenicia on the second Tuesday of each month are going strong, with literally hundreds of townsfolk benefiting.Ditto church programs at United Methodist churches in Samsonville and Olivebridge.
In addition to the help received by Ulster County Community Action, Smith credits local altruist “Farmer Frank” Nazzaro with helping to make local programs successful with several food supply connections. Plus, the Senior Lunch Program is available for seniors at various locations throughout the area.
Also, the Ulster County Department of Social Services will be at the Shandaken Town Hall to help with applications for Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and other county services between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm, November 18th and 25th. As part of the Ulster County Winter Watch initiative, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) has set up extended hours at select locations to accept new HEAP and Food Stamp applications only for the month of November.
“Increased benefits and higher eligibility criteria for energy assistance makes this program available for more families as we face this challenging winter season”, said Social Services Commissioner Roberto Rodriguez.
The 2008-2009 HEAP season began on November 3 and will end on May 15 next spring. For more information on HEAP, contact the program offices at 334-5436.
Or call Smith at 845-254-5304, especially if you remain undecided about signing up. Smith is prepared to talk the matter over confidentially and will even go with you to sign up if you need help.
You may also call her if you know of any old cars or stoves or refrigerators. Another issue in town, Smith said, is that there are some locals that actually could be working if they had a way to get to the job. An old car that runs could make the difference between employed and unemployed.
As for the stove and fridge. Smith knows of one local that has neither and can’t afford to get them.
If your gross monthly income is at or below the following you can get help with the cost of fuel this winter.
# PEOPLE INCOME # PEOPLE INCOME
1 $1963 7 $5097
2 $2567 8 $5210
3 $3172 9 $5324
4 $3776 10 $5437
5 $4380 11 $5800
6 $4984 11+ +$450
If you are age 60 or older you can apply by phone. Call Christine Noble at the Ulster County Office for the Aging at 845-340-3006. All others should call 845-334-5000
Stay warm, stay full, and don’t forget... it’s ok to ask for help if you need it, and to offer it if you can

Planning For New Plans

A Challenged Catskills

Those, outlined and specified by scientists, policy specialists, and the public, ranged from new climate change data that predicts the region to be more like North and maybe even South Carolina a generation from now to gas drilling and a weakening economy.
The idea behind the first Catskills Environment & Economy Day, sponsored by the Catskill Institute for the Environment, the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, the Open State Institute, the Watershed Agricultural Council, and the Catskill Landowners Association, as well as the DEC, was to augment the annual Local Government Day sponsored by the Catskill Watershed Corporation, held the day before, and set a framework for new thinking about the region’s present health and future.
Reports included talks about the threat of air pollution, climate change and invasive species on the region’s forests; challenges to the management of water quality and quantity; trends involving Eastern Brook Trout, the status of local bird populations; where farming now stands in the region, including a look at the recent “Pure Catskills Buy Local campaign;” and forest management updates.
Much was made of an increasing amount of new research on the Catskills ecosystem coming from local colleges and institutions, including the Bard Institute for Environmental Policy and the Nature Conservancy of Eastern New York’s Rising Waters initiative, as well as a growing number of symposiums being planned to address the topical science of climate change over the coming months.
But it was public questions regarding actual steps that might be taken to protect the region that had attendees at the SRO event in the state-owned Belleayre Ski Center’s Main Lodge abuzz. And, more specifically, worries about climate change effects in the region that predominated.
“One has to be politically active,” said Senior Scientist Gary Lovett of the Millbrook-based Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies when asked what could be done now to avoid worsening problems in the future. “To tell you the truth it’s going to take some fairly drastic changes in the way our economy runs.”
Mike Flaherty, the DEC’s Regional Fisheries Biologist, said there have to be major shifts in the way culverts are put in under roads to better protect fish populations, as well as the health of water supplies.
Others spoke of shifting away from incandescent light bulbs, being “more like Europe” in our embrace of wind power and “real responsibility,” and finally knocking back the reoccurrence of acid rain effects by “no longer pretending we can burn coal cleanly.”
Asked whether this would all entail new regulations, the standard answer was that the State Environmental Quality Review Act’s laws were designed for such considerations… but then the federal lack of leadership on environmental issues was loudly lamented. While some talked about how states would have to fill the breach left by eight years of Bush administration oversight failures, others noted the “truly global” aspects of what was already occurring, and predicted to happen.
Janeway spoke, after comments about the need for new legislation dealing with probable increases in regional flooding over the coming decades, about the state’s need to balance conservation and economic concerns… and separately look closely at how climate concerns would effect the region’s, state’s, and world’s economic health.
Later, after it was established that the threat of climate change in the Catskills was unanimously acknowledged by those in attendance, Janeway spoke about a new state task force looking at the threat of rising waters in the Hudson Valley, and new initiatives moving through the state legislature.
Several people spoke about things reaching a point where NIMBY opposition to wind power generators in local communities, which stopped a planned project in the Delaware County town of Andes last year, would have to end. Otherwise, it was noted, the choice would be to move back to coal power, and increase the push for gas drilling in the region.
“It is no longer a neutral choice,” said Hames, noting how his own school had shifted away from possible wind power back to coal because of local opposition. “If you think a windmill looks bad, look at the alternatives.”
His comments, in turn, raised questions and comments about how most NIMBY arguments could be subverted if the electrical and power grids were broken down and alternative power sources, such as hydro or wind power, could be created for individual communities, utilizing less industrialized infrastructure.
Lisa Rainwater, the new Executive Director of the Catskill Center, talked about ways to reinforce sustainability in the region, from shifting the vegetables we eat to a more seasonable, localized rationale, to restructuring the state’s tax code to support forest landowners’ stewardship activities.
When the inevitable Catskills question about bolstering local residents threatened by declining demographics came up, Dr. Dan Palm of the Watershed Agriculture Council spoke about growth through high tech infrastructure, allowing the Catskills to ride new trends in the Capital region and Hudson Valley. He talked of replacing dairy with niche farming and new markets in carbon trade-offs that could pay top dollar for the replanting of local forests where fields now lie fallow.
When Councilwoman Helen Chase of the Town of Olive noted how Canadians were making fertilizer from wood chips and livestock manure, Palm and New York Farm Bureau representative Chris Kelder spoke about giving it a try… as well as looking into ways of using new pelletizing technological breakthroughs to heat local communities (see sidebar).
“I hope this isn’t just dialogue,” said Janeway in closing comments he shared with the director of his neighboring DEC region to the north, Schenectady-based Gene Kelly. “We can learn a lot from our partners around the world, as well as our partners right here in this room.”
All agreed everyone in attendance would stay in touch via e-mail… with updates on further meetings and other events all promised to set up over the coming winter.