NARROWSBURG, NY — Formally beginning its 28th year of operations last week, the 13-town membership of the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) is still two towns short of its ultimate potential (Manchester and Buckingham have never joined), with two existing township members (Lackawaxen and Westfall) not in attendance at the meeting.

A bigger absence may arise at the end of this month, when one of its allotted three staff members will be leaving.

For the past three years, Travis O’Dell has served as the UDC Resource Specialist. The Long Eddy resident’s resignation as of February 26 was announced at the council’s February 4 meeting.

O’Dell spoke briefly regarding the announcement, explaining that with “only one turn” through life it seemed there should be “room for advancement,” and leaving would provide “more time with my family.”

Past council chair Andrew Boyar said O’Dell had done “a spectacular job. The staff is the strength of the UDC. I hope it’s not money prompting his departure.”

The static UDC budget may have contributed to O’Dell’s departure. Upon the council’s denial of the staff’s last request for salary increases, O’Dell was outspoken in his opposition to the decision. That debate was not reopened at this meeting, however.

It’s a big job to fill, according to the job description; responsible for “performing technical reviews regarding the determination of substantial conformance of local laws, plans, and ordinances with the River Management Plan for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River; reviewing and preparing draft comments on development proposals; and monitoring activities with potential impacts on the river corridor’s resources.”

Executive Director Laurie Ramie will be accepting applications for the position through February 29.

The council’s unusually light agenda contained neither old nor new business.

Steve Tambini, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, attended. He reported optimistically on governmental actions following the council’s criticism of the conduct of basin state’s representatives at a December meeting in Hawley regarding river flows and local requests to augment them to protect the fishery.

Tambini was in attendance at the UDC meeting in December, and was apologetic about the local negative reaction, but noted that it was “never stated that the ‘principals’ [appointed state and New York City representatives of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree Parties] were going to be at the… meeting. The committee members had duties to report back, and I believe they did. I realize your displeasure,” he said, adding. “I’m not sure what they’re going to do.”

NPS Upper Delaware Superintendent Kris Heister submitted the park’s annual report and further noted that volunteers are being sought to transcribe and edit a large number of oral history tapes that NPS has gathered since the 1980s.

The park service is also preparing a “virtual tour” of the Upper Delaware, which Heister said is expected to appear on the park’s website in April.

Considering Ramie’s recommendation, the council decided that Wolff’s 1910 Banquet Hall at the Tennanah Lake Golf & Tennis Club will host UDC’s 2016 Awards Banquet on April 24. Contact the UDC office for ticket and award nomination.