Tusten board addresses flood issues

Permit fees waived for flood repair work

By JANET NOBLE

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Tusten Town Board addressed several issues related to the flooding of June 28. At its meeting on Monday, July 10, the board agreed to waive fees for building permits to repair houses that were damaged by the flood. The board also decided to hire a part-time temporary secretary to assist Dave Sparling, the new building inspector, so that Sparling can spend more time working on flood-related matters.

The building department reported that most of the families that were evacuated during the flood are now back in their homes, although a few are still without power. All 106 homes on the flats were either evacuated or empty in the height of the emergency.

The building department is arranging for the mobile team of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to set up operations in the Tusten Town Hall so that residents in Narrowsburg who need assistance won’t have to travel to the emergency management field office in Livingston Manor.

Highway superintendent George Kinch reported that nine roads were damaged, but that all are now open. He also said that the highway departments of Tusten and Delaware had joined forces in repairing the roads in the two towns.

Tusten supervisor Ben Johnson thanked the fire departments of Narrowsburg and Lava, the Welcome Lake Dive Team, as well as local business owners and residents who provided food, shelter and other forms of assistance to those who were affected by the flood.