TUSTEN, NY — The Town of Tusten board voted to acquire a new piece of lot property on Route 97 to be used by the highway department, to rent portable toilets for and to install new trees in Tusten’s multigenerational park, and to submit a full grant application to fund well repairs to ensure water availability. This all took place at the April 8 board meeting.  

Highway Department expansion 

After an executive session, the board voted unanimously to purchase lot number 16.-5-6 for $2,200, subject to a permissive referendum.  Ben Johnson told the River Reporter the lot is surrounded by the Highway Department's existing property, owned by the town, and is unbuildable. The owners approached the town offering to sell. The board said the residential lot would become part of the town’s highway department. 

Water repair fund progress

The Town of Tusten has made progress on a more-than-year-long project to fix, repair or replace the town’s three wells, which provide Narrowsburg Water District residents and businesses with water for bathing, drinking and cleaning.

Town wells #1 and #2 are back in use, which avoided a “water emergency” after diminishing output, leaks and lack of water testing left the town for a time with only one working well and no backup. With two working wells, the town has more leeway to secure funding to repair well #3, which needs to be redrilled, hopefully saving resident taxpayers from having to shoulder the cost of repairs. 

Deputy supervisor Jane Luchsinger, who has been actively pursuing additional funding with Delaware Engineering to help cover the cost of the water infrastructure improvements, received positive feedback on the town’s pre-application for a Northern Borders Regional Commission (NBRC) Cascade grant. As a result of positive feedback, the board voted to submit a full and final application for the $1 million NBRC grant for the Narrowsburg water system improvements project. 

The park with new pavilion to get portable bathrooms and trees

The board voted to rent two portable toilet units from Reeves Rent a John, to be located near the newly constructed pavilion at Tusten’s Multigenerational Park in the “flats” area of Narrowsburg. The two units, one standard and one ADA-approved, will be available for use in the park from May 1 through November 1 at a cost of $140 and $200 a month, respectively. The board also approved six new 4-inch round trees from Manza Farm & Garden Center to be installed in the park.

Editor's note: This article was corrected to indicate the correct price paid by the town for the property  was $2,200 and to clarify the subhead to state "portable bathrooms" as of April 28, 2025, at 1:47 PM