Tusten Constabulary to be decided by referendum

SUSAN WADE
Posted 3/21/18

NARROWSBURG, NY — After months of debate and spirited input from the public, the Tusten Town Board decided to let the voters determine, through a proposition that will be on the November …

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Tusten Constabulary to be decided by referendum

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NARROWSBURG, NY — After months of debate and spirited input from the public, the Tusten Town Board decided to let the voters determine, through a proposition that will be on the November ballot, whether they want an on-road constabulary to be established in 2019.

It is anticipated that voter turnout will be strong due to the contested Congressional race. Councilman Tony Ritter said that after many attempts to craft the wording of a survey question and determine the most representative way to gather input, the referendum made the most sense.

Supervisor Carol Wingert said that an informational session will be held as the time for the vote approaches. Advocates for and against establishing an on-road constabulary will be able to make their case.

The current peace officers from the Tusten Justice Court were among those who volunteered their time during Winter Storm Reilly to go door-to-door and look after residents’ needs. Reporting that some social media postings alleged that these volunteers were being used to push an agenda supporting the establishment of an on-road constabulary, Wingert expressed disgust at the implication.

Reporting for the environmental committee, council member Brandi Merola stated that tote bags made of recycled and recyclable material were available, one to each household. The bags can be obtained in the town clerk’s office. Merola said that the bags were created to aid in decreasing plastic pollution and spoke of the damage to the environment being caused by plastics. 

Council member Jane Luchsinger introduced Helen Budrock from Sullivan Renaissance, who presented the town with a $25,000 grant check. According to Budrock, “It is an initial grant to the Town of Tusten through our 2018 Municipal Partnership Grant Program. The town will use those funds to beautify and maintain public spaces, improve code enforcement and build a healthier community.” Five municipalities (including the Town of Tusten) will be participating in this year’s Renaissance competition, with a top prize of $250,000 in state grant funds secured by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.

In response to a report on zoning rewrite efforts, the council engaged in a lively debate as to whether the issue of short-term rentals should be addressed. Luchsinger and council member Jill Padua spoke of their experiences with operating short-term rentals, stating that entities such as Airbnb have rules for governing the actions of both renters and property owners. Acknowledging the cost of enforcement and the fact that no issue currently exists, the council voted to direct the rewrite committee to not pursue the issue. Luchsinger and Padua abstained from the vote. The information gathered to date will be filed in the event that the issue needs to be addressed in the future.

Wingert sought and received council approval to appropriate $750 to host a meeting of various entities to address lessons learned during the recent storm. She repeatedly thanked all those who made the experience “as bearable as possible,” including EMTs, fire department and highway department personnel, other volunteer residents and outside contractors. She contrasted their results with those of NYSEG, whose response she described as deplorable. She reported that as many as 200 people visited the town hall during the outage time to take advantage of the lights and water.

Narrowsburg, tusten town board

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