According to Wikipedia and the 2020 United States census, Tusten, NY has a population of 583 households, representing 376 families, for a total of 1,415 people. Among those 1,415 people are 1,416 proud opinions because there’s always someone who can’t make up their mind.

We are a community that inspires passion, which is a good thing.

In the pursuit of an informed opinion where should one go? Look no further than www.townoftusten.org for answers, and a full schedule of and agendas/minutes from board meetings—all of which are held in the town community room and are open to the public. Comments and concerns are welcomed, and usually part of each agenda.

The Water and Sewer Committee meets the first Monday of each month at 9 a.m. The Parks and Public Spaces Committee meets the same day at 5 p.m. If you have concerns specific to those areas, you are invited to attend.

The planning and work session for the Tusten Town Board is the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. During those meetings, the monthly town board agenda will be reviewed and solidified. The agenda will then be acted upon at the monthly town board meeting on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to meet every second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. The scope of its work is defined by the State of New York as being “an administrative body, of limited jurisdiction and powers, designed to function as a ‘safety valve’ to relieve the pressure of rigid and inflexible provisions of zoning regulations.”

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet every fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. According to www.ny.gov, the role of the planning board “includes the review of site plans, special use permits, and subdivision plans along with the planning board’s active role in creating the municipal comprehensive plan.”

Many meetings are broadcast via Zoom. The links are available on the town website. 

Worth noting that if there are no agenda points, many meetings are postponed until the next month. The latest information is always available online.

Critical to know as Tusten makes its way to 1,417 informed opinions.