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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Walden may allow water and sewer hookup for bus company
By TED REMSNYDER
With the East End Bus Lines company looking to
expand the scope of its operations at the Amthor property
in Walden on the outskirts of the village, the municipality
is considering an agreement to allow the property to
hook up to the village sewer and water lines. Walden
Village Manager John Revella reported during the Village
Board meeting on Sept. 18 that the village is meeting with
company representatives to discuss options at the site and
the particulars of how they would connect the property to
the village lines.
While the terms have yet to be finalized, the bus
company would pay double the standard water and sewer
rate to use the public lines. The duration of the deal has
not been decided. An agreement could be presented to the
board during its next meeting on Oct. 2 for a vote.
Revella noted that down the road, the property could
potentially be annexed by the village, but the municipality
wouldn’t look at that issue until they get a petition from
the owners. “Hopefully in the long-term they would also
consider annexation, which would be the better benefit,”
Revella said. “Then we would have more control over what
takes place on the property.”
A deal to allow the sewer and water connection could
have additional upsides for the village. “It also protects
our watershed,” Walden Mayor Susan Rumbold said.
“When people have individual leach fields and sewage
tanks, things of that nature, there’s always a danger of
things leaching into the ground and leaching into the Tin
Brook. So to have them hooked up to a main sewer line is
really better for the environment and to protect the Tin
Brook from potential leaks. The benefit for the village is
really to protect the environment and the water source.”
Village clerk vacancy
Walden is still in the process of searching for a
new clerk after former Village Clerk Tara Bliss left the
administration on August 20. The appointment of a new
clerk is at the mayor’s discretion, and Rumbold explained
that the village wi ll be deliberate in its hiring process.
“The clerks in the Finance Office have been dividing the
duties, so the liaison and the manager will be reporting
back on how that’s going,” Rumbold said. “We want to see
how many hours it takes to do certain tasks and evaluate
the position before any discussion about who may fill it,
so we know what hours and duties it’s going to entail. I’m
really not in a rush to make an appointment. I want to
do what’s best for the village and the best thing for that
position.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved a
$75,020 bid from En-Tech Corp. for sewer main lining
on Valley Avenue. Up to 1,000 linear feet will be lined as
part of the project, and any potential pipe damage will be
repaired by the contractor as part of the contract.
RDAC and SONYMA spruce up 21 village properties
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volunteering and making a difference in
the communities its employees live and
work in, Dahl said.
“It reminds all of us that we’re part
of a community and we do well when our
communities do well,” Dahl said.
Eckles said she enjoyed meeting
residents in the neighborhood and
building comradery with other volunteers.
That comradery was on full display as
she joked with the four other SONYMA
volunteers in her team as they picked up
leaves and branches.
SONYMA volunteer Ann Nobles said
many residents are appreciative of the
work the agency does. SONYMA has
coordinated many spruce up events
across the state, often cleaning properties
for residents that can’t do it themselves,
such as seniors, the disabled, renters or
low-income residents. She said a widower
was very appreciative and happy when
they cleaned his property earlier in the
month.
Addressing the volunteers at the
morning orientation, Walden Mayor
Susan Rumbold acknowledged the issues
Walden faces—a village with several
empty storefronts and properties that
stand vacant or in disrepair—and thanked
the volunteers for their hard work.
“Walden is such a wonderful village,”
Rumbold said. “We have so many
wonderful people here and unfortunately
we have the same issues as every other
community does and when we needed
help you guys answered the call.”
Eckles said physically going into the
community gives RDAC and SONYMA
A team of five SONYMA volunteers clean a vacant property on Woodruff Street in Walden as
part of a Spruce Up Event that beautified 21 village properties.
greater exposure. RDAC is a non-profit
rural housing initiative that encourages
home ownership by helping individuals
obtain and retain affordable housing.
SONYMA is a state agency that
partners with mortgage lenders to offer
competitive, fixed-rate mortgages with
special features to help low and moderate-
income New York residents become
homeowners.
Moore said she plans to use SONYMA’s
neighborhood revitalization program to
entice people to buy the vacant properties
that were identified in the spruce up
event.
The program provides $20,000 in
assistance and the ability to finance
additional improvements into the
purchase mortgage to a buyer that
would like to renovate a vacant property.
Applicants must plan to occupy the
property as their primary residence and
have good credit and stable employment.
Eckles said the program can revitalize
a whole community because vacant
and abandoned properties decrease
surrounding home values.
Although the event has passed, RDAC is
still available to clean up properties that
inquire. To learn more, contact Moore at
845-713-4568 ext. 110.
Water emergency
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water loss, which may be due to leaks or
broken meters.
Carnes said a private company will be
hired for leak protection.
Water demand always increases in
the summer, when the weather is warm
and residents use more water to fill
their pools, wash their cars, take more
showers, etc. Demand usually decreases
with cooler weather, but so far McKelvey
said demand has still been high.
Orange County Planning Commissioner
David Church said the first two production
wells at the Dwarr Kill well fields are
complete, while the third is expected to
be completed early this week. The wells
then need to be tested for quantity and
quality of water, and that they won’t
affect neighboring wells.
The wells are the first phase of a
project that would connect three wells to
a new treatment plant that would supply
the Pine Bush Water District. The second
phase of the project, which includes the
installation of the treatment building and
the transmission main to connect the
Dwarr Kill wellfields to the existing water
supply, is contingent on the approval of a
grant from the Environmental Facilities
Corporation.
The town will also hire JCO, Inc.,
an environmental services group, to
maintain the water district effective
January 1, 2019.
The Pine Bush Water Supply System
has had problems with its water quality
and quantity for many years. The problem
has been exacerbated by the closing of
two wells in 2016 and 2017, decreasing the
town’s water supply from five to three
wells.