NARROWSBURG, NY — There is friction between some members of the Town of Tusten Town Board and members of the Narrowsburg Beautification Group (NBG), which has been simmering for a while, and may lead to a new arrangement between the two organizations.

At the town meeting on February 14, a letter was read from the NBG to the board outlining a proposal that would see the NGB remain an autonomous group, in charge of determining its own membership. However, the letter said NBG would “also be an affiliated group with the Town Parks and Recreation Committee, with a spokesperson designated by the group as a liaison with the Town Committee.”

The letter came in response to concerns by some that the town board was trying to exert more control over NBG. According to the minutes of the NBG meeting on October 20, 2016, “Madeleine [Wootan] relayed to the group that [town board member] Jane Luchsinger has informed her that NBG is now a town committee, with members to be selected by town appointment. Star [Hesse] voiced reservations about NBG being tasked with the new [Sullivan Renaissance] projects as they are more geared to larger, communitywide urban renewal-type projects. Members expressed their wish to delay any appointment as a town committee until further information on the effects of such a change in status is made available to NBG. Until such information is forthcoming, the group expressed their preference to remain independent as it has been since its inception in 2001….”

The town board indicated it would consider the NBG letter.

Denise Frangipane, executive director of Sullivan Renaissance, said groups can be structured in a variety of ways, and the structure of the volunteer groups that work on beautification projects in conjunction with Sullivan Renaissance depends on the wishes of the particular municipality and the community. Because of IRS regulations, grants that go from Sullivan Renaissance to NBG are passed through the town.

Beyond the question of the structure, there is also a matter of $2,500 that was used to help with improvements to the town’s Multi-Generational Park. According to minutes from the NBG October 20 meeting, normal procedures may not have been followed in approving the funds to be used for the project. The minutes say, “[Madeleine Wootan] recalled that the group tabled voting on expenditures for the Multi-Generational Park, yet [Joan Santos] and [Jane Luchsinger] spent over $3,000 on that project without the group’s approval. A reminder will be issued that, per NBG’s policy, no receipt shall be reimbursed, nor expense authorized without explicit approval by vote of NBG members.”

There is also some disagreement about whether the funds actually belong to the NBG and will be reimbursed, or if they belong to the town and will not be reimbursed.

NGB has created many projects in the town and won many Sullivan Renaissance awards, including a Silver Feather Award of $10,000 in 2015 and the Golden Feather Award of $25,000 in 2012.

(A note from NBG says, "Total monies extracted from NBG account that we are asking to be reimbursed from Town : $3,894 NBG grant, fundraising, donation and prize monies invested in the Town in past 15 years is over $105,000. Including the Narrowsburg Master Plan (5K), 2012 Golden Feather award (25K), 2015 Silver Feather award (10K).)