TUSTEN, NY — A new sewer rate study and a potential pavilion at the Tusten Multigenerational Park stirred discussion at the Tusten Town Board meeting on August 8. 

Project pavilion 

The original proposal to build a grant-funded 28-foot-by-52-foot public pavilion at Tusten Multigenerational Park, which would include a flush toilet, hot plate and sink, was met with pushback. 

The proposal to build the pavilion began after the Sullivan 180 Municipal Partnership Grant was awarded to the town for $20,000 with a match. The board voted to accept the grant on May 9 and moved forward with the project. A park committee of five members was formed to oversee the project. The grant stipulates that the project plan must be finalized by October 1.

Pushback about the pavilion came primarily from residents who live on The Flats—the river’s-edge residential area, directly around The Flats Ballfield where the structure would be built.

Residents’ main concern expressed during the public comment period of the meeting was the sheer size of the pavilion. 

One resident, Eugene Wolf, pointed out that the proposed size would be bigger than most of the homes that surrounded the park. Another resident compared the renderings of the pavilion to the Taj Mahal. 

Another concern included the ability to maintain the pavilion and cost of doing so, especially the bathroom and kitchenette. Residents worried that the space might attract animals if not maintained properly, and about the potential for the flush bathroom to be co-opted for illicit drug-related activity, or by a house-less person. 

Residents expressed frustration over working on the new pavilion before addressing the pickleball and baseball field that had been previously discussed, the unfinished walking path and the ill-maintained flower beds.

A few residents spoke about the possibility of the pavilion offering a space for more youth programming and shade to gather under. They said the kitchenette and flush toilet could be locked, avoiding issues.

After listening to the concerns, the board voted to request new renderings of a smaller pavilion—20-feet-by-24-feet—without a flush toilet or kitchenette. 

The architectural firm working on the project is Charles G. Woods and Associates.

The board recessed and plans to meet again to discuss the pavilion project on Wednesday, August 23.

Sewer rates to change 

Becky Sims of RCAP Solutions, an organization that assists communities with environmental services, presented The Narrowsburg Sewer District Rate Study to the board. The study sought to lay out different options for the town to generate additional revenue, in order to prepare for future costs of the sewage system. 

Sims told the board that there are current revenue shortfalls under the current sewage rates, which are unstable and [unsustainable] for the town. “The current rate is way too low.” 

The study presented five options that would seek to cover future revenue shortfalls. 

The five different sewer rate options presented by the study all propose different Unit Base Rates (per quarter) and Use Rates (per 1,000 gallons). Increasing the base rate creates more reliable revenue, whereas a lower base rate and a higher use rate offers less stable revenue. 

The rate changes would affect the sewer district, which serves 800 individuals, 295 customers, and a total of 424.25 building units.

Sims stated in her presentation that in any of the five scenarios proposed annual bills are going to increase. She added, “They’ve been too low for too long and we have some catching up to do.” (Based on the average residential water use of 5,553 gallons of water per quarter, residents will see an approximate $60 raise per quarter.)

The board made no final decision and said the study will be taken under consideration by the sewer and water committee. It added that it was their opinion that people who use more water should pay more. 

The study ultimately recommended the sewage district adjust its rates according to options two and five. Option two would only adjust the use rate, whereas option five would adjust both the base rate, making it higher, and the use rate, making it lower.

It’s been 14 years since the sewage base rate has been increased.