An Amazing Effort In Response To The Floods

by David Flint
The Stephentown Fire Department and Highway Department along with the County Highway Department received high praise and applause at the Town Board meeting Monday evening for their response to the flooding that occurred the last week in July.  Town Supervisor Tom Sherman marveled that highway crews putting in many hours of overtime were able to keep all roads passable in one way or another to keep citizens safe in an emergency. Highway Superintendent Aldie Goodermote said the praise should go to his staff and the people from surrounding towns who helped out.
Sherman, noting that the Fire Department had set up a centralized command post at the Stephentown Fire Station, said that without their support and dedication the Town would have been in a bad fix. Among other things, they responded to 78 calls, many of them to pump out cellars at homes and businesses. He said that after driving around inspecting the mounting problem on Wednesday afternoon, he met later that day with State and County officials at the Fire Station and at that time he decided to declare a state of emergency which enabled him to take actions more expeditiously.
County Executive Kathy Jimino, he said, toured the Town with him on Thursday and then again on Friday. Much of the road repair work that had been accomplished the previous two days was wiped out with more rain coming on Friday. Jimino, he said, was instrumental on Friday in relieving a culvert problem on South Stephentown Road that was flooding homes there.
Sherman said he would be meeting with State and County officials to discuss why there was no State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) presence on Route 22 when the temporary bridge over the Kinderhook got washed out. The Stephentown Fire Department had assumed the responsibility to divert and direct traffic there. Noticing that they had no raingear, Sherman went out and purchased rain suits for them to use.
Sherman said all in all it was “an amazing effort” and one of the brightest parts of it was the assistance that came from not only the County but from surrounding towns.
In the aftermath, Sherman has been meeting with County, State and FEMA officials to draft an application for disaster relief. After a thorough inspection of all Town roads, the estimate of damages is $750,000. With roads in the Town of Nassau, the Village of East Nassau and County roads thrown in, the estimate comes to $1.9 million. Sherman said he will not know for several days whether the Town qualifies for any relief, and relief for damage to the property of individuals depends on whether the Town qualifies. Individual losses would have to be accounted for separately and other criteria will apply.
The question arose, what about the damage to streams in the area, with downed trees and stumps and other debris clogging the waterways and causing havoc to properties that border them. Sherman said the Town is allowed to address problems 100 feet on either side of a bridge, but further than that requires a permit from the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Councilman Larry Eckhardt said that there has been no major effort to clear the creeks since the days of the CCC. He said, however, that he personally has occasionally obtained permits from DEC to remove debris blocking a stream but their stipulations can be onerous. It would seem, he said, that the fish count for a lot more than a person’s property. He thought it would take a “public uproar” to get that attitude corrected. He agreed that the recent storms have caused great damage to the streams. With an estimated 7.2 inches of rain in a 9-hour period, he said, “It was pretty catastrophic.”
Eckhardt predicted there would be continued road problems as a result of the flooding, and he asked citizens to report any problems they notice because the Town Highway Department cannot be everywhere at once. Sherman said people could call the Town Hall at 733-9195 and leave a message in his voice mailbox which is extension 5.
Pease Road To Be Opened For Windmill Delivery
Janet Atwater asked whether the bridge over the Kinderhook on Pease Road is being restored. Goodermote responded that a private company has been given permission to install a temporary bridge to facilitate the delivery of windmills. He said the company has installed a concrete slab across the creek. It is not permanent and is not open to the public. The company assumes all liability for the bridge and when they are done they will close the creek crossing “like it should be.” He noted that the company has taken it upon themselves to fix up the road on either side of the creek.  Goodermote said he did not foresee the Town reopening the bridge which has been shut down for 15 years.
Deferred Compensation
Officials from the NYS Deferred Compensation Board gave a presentation on the benefits of the Town sponsoring a Deferred Compensation Plan for Town employees. There would be no cost to the Town and no work for the Town, they said, but employees would benefit from a good way to save for retirement. The plan would be similar to a 401-K plan in the private sector, but employees would be able to access the money 45 days after leaving employment, and, while still employed, they can take loans from the amount deferred. Federal and State income taxes are deferred until benefits are received. The State Board oversees the funds and carries all fiduciary responsibility. Employees, they said, would have access to a wide variety of good investment options with excellent money managers.
Youth Programs Successful
Councilman PJ Roder reported that the Summer Youth Program was “a huge success.” Between 38 and 52 youngsters were present on any one day. Twenty to thirty staff were employed. Each week had a theme, such as science, and each week the children attended a storyteller session at the library. Beverley McClave thanked the Board for the program which she said is a real value to townspeople, noting that people in other towns have to pay for their children to attend such programs. Sue Cass, Library Board President, thanked the Board, too, for supporting the new Middle School program. Serving more than 20 youngsters, she said it was a “wonderful start” and a very effective program for “a vulnerable age group.”
Robinson Hollow Way
Mary Lou Brown, who has a residence on Robinson Hollow Way in North Stephentown, asked about the possibility of the Town taking over maintenance of that road since the Board had recently approved the Town taking possession of Nora Way, now called Nora Lane. She noted that both roads were part of the Boyer Estates development. Brown said the expectation when the development was formed was that the Town would assume jurisdiction over the roads but that never happened – until recently for Nora Way.
Residents of Robinson Hollow Way eight years ago tried to get the Board to at least help maintain the road, noting it had become increasingly difficult to maintain it since the State two years before had designated and publicized it as an access road to the Taconic Crest Trail. The Board at that time remained unsympathetic.
Brown said her husband, Richard, maintained the road for 20 years until he became too ill to continue it. She believes there are seven houses on the road and another three on Michelle Way, which completes a circle from Whitman Road to East Road. She asked what steps the residents of Nora Way had to complete to have the Town take over that road. Sherman said the first step is to find out what needs to be done. He said he would send Brown the criteria for the Town taking over a road.
Support For The 225th Town Celebration
Patricia Flint, President of the Historical Society, informed the Board that as part of the Town’s celebration of the Town’s 225th Anniversary, the Society would be sponsoring a Giffy’s Chicken Barbecue at the Fire Department’s annual Muster on September 13. Vice President Beverley McClave noted, too, that Eckhardt’s corn would be available as well as homemade desserts from the Historical Society and homemade lemonade from the Library. The Society will also enter a float in the Muster Parade. Flint asked for help in selling tickets ($9) and for a little monetary support to offset costs in preparing a calendar, T-shirts, note cards and reprints of historical albums for the celebration.
Sherman suggested that the Town contribute $1,000 to the celebration. He moved that he be authorized to contract for services with the Society in that amount. The motion passed by unanimous vote.
Deposits & Spending
The Town Clerk reported she had turned over to the Supervisor the sum of $641.31 for the month of July. The report on the distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller, Justice Court Fund to the Town for July has not yet been received. The Transfer Station deposited a total of $4,813.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $18,622.28 from the General Account and $64,480.61 from the Highway Account. Close to $30,000 of these bills were due to the storm and flooding.
The Board set a budget workshop meeting for Monday, September 14, at 7 pm, their next regular meeting for Monday, September 21, at 7 pm and a second budget workshop meeting for Monday, September 28, at 7 pm.