Tusten animal control raises hares

By DAVID JACKMAN

TUSTEN—The Town of Tusten currently does not have a contract with the Society for the Prevention of Crulety to animals (SPCA) for lodging stray animals. Supervisor Richard Crandall said the town will be looking at shelters in Cochecton, local veterinaries, or private owner to house animals.

If the town agrees to shelter animals in Pennsylvania, they would have to be licensed before entering the state.

In other board matters, the town is anticipating $1400.00 from the Upper Delaware council [UDC] as a 2001 Technical Assistance Grant to print and distribute maps and to purchase and install signs depicting the boundaries for the newly established Wellhead Protection Overlay District.

According to Scott Birney, Supervisor of Water and Sewer, if there is a building permit the township will protect the public water supply by looking into any factor that will impede the deterioration of water quality.

The town will hold a public hearing on October 8 to approve the drilling of a well in the district.

According to Birney, it costs about $10,000 to rehabilitate the existing well, at a frequency of every 3 or 4 years. The well built in the 1940’s, pumped 140,000 gallons per minute (GPM), now is in the low 60,000 gpm.

Sullivan County Planning Board Chairman Charles Wieland said that fear of proliferation of towers is not a big factor.

According to Wieland, two towers have been approved, one in Callicoon and one in Cochecton. He said, “There cannot be a tower unless there is a provider…providers wants to see something for their money, and only go where places [reception] are good.”

The Sullivan County planning Board meets on October 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the government center in Monticello. The UDC will hold another meeting on the cell tower issue on September 27 in Narrowsburg.

Supervisor Crandall said the Town of Tusten is benefiting from lower interests rates on re negotiating a bond from the construction of the new town barn. On October 8, a public hearing will take place at

7:10 p.m. to decide on the removal of old one including the removal of the concrete foundation.

The board said neighboring residents have complained that the old barn is an ‘eyesore’ Crandell said, “It’s taxpayers money, have to vote on it.”

Currently the town is using the old barn as a cold storage facility.

Supervisor Crandell also noted that the Town of Tusten Scenic Byway Program plans to go to The New York Department of Transportation (N.Y.D.O.T) for review to designate Route 97 as a scenic byway. A resolution was passed by the board, and a letter will be composed in support of the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway Program.