NARROWSBURG, NY — Following a public hearing held immediately prior to its November 10 meeting, the Tusten Town Board voted unanimously to adopt the preliminary 2021 town budget as presented.

“With an overall increase of less than one perecnt [.008 percent], this year’s budget is almost flat,” said supervisor Ben Johnson, noting increases in water and sewer district expenses associated with ongoing upgrade projects for each.

The board also voted unanimously to appoint Alfred “Al” Smith to fill temporarily the councilmember vacancy created by Brandi Merolla’s resignation in August. Smith will serve through December 31, 2021 with the understanding that a special election will be held in November of 2021 to fill the remainder of Merolla’s four-year term, which ends on December 31, 2024.

A resident of Narrowsburg since 1970, Smith served as Tusten town justice from 1996 to 2010. In addition, he spent 19 years on the Narrowsburg Central School District school board, 15 of them as its president. He is currently secretary-treasurer of the Narrowsburg Fire District, a position he’s held since 2012. Smith and his wife of 54 years, Linda, have two children and six grandchildren.

In other business, the board set a special meeting date of November 18 at 5:30 p.m. to determine water and sewer rent collection schedules.

Citing an exponential rise in local COVID-19 infection rates, remote gallery member Star Hesse asked why the town continues to hold in-person board meetings, resumed as of October. Her question was prompted not only out of concern for those participating live, including the town board, but also because of poor sound quality experienced by those participating via Zoom. What appeared to be an unfortunate interface of the board’s new sound system and the computer audio systems of each board member produced feedback and echoing that made much of the meeting’s discussion inaudible to Zoom participants.

The answer to Hesse’s question was provided by town attorney Danielle Jose-Decker, who explained that the state’s live meeting requirement had not been overridden by Gov. Andrew Cuomo before publication deadline of the required meeting notice. “He has to give us enough time to publish our public meeting notice as required by law; that notice must be made X number of days prior to a public meeting. This month, we didn’t have that much time,” said Jose-Decker.

The board also authorized the town clerk to advertise two positions: a competitive bid contractor to shovel snow from Narrowsburg sidewalks and other common-use areas that can’t be plowed, and a building maintenance worker to do a mix of housekeeping and odd jobs for the town at $18 per hour.

Johnson reported that the town hall roof replacement is 90 percent complete, with just a few minor details still to be done.

And then resident Bob Olman asked the board to consider once more the odd case of Cackletown Road. Because the town has been unable to determine ownership of the road, it has indefinitely postponed long overdue maintenance. Olman said the road, or what’s left of it, now constitutes a public safety hazard for pedestrians, motor vehicle operators and cyclists alike. Johnson responded, saying research into the road’s ownership continues and that planned repair work will include milling, the use of pavement removed from a road in chunks, then ground up and recycled as aggregate in fresh pavement. Milling has the advantage of being cost-effective and environmentally sound.

The board adjourned into executive session to discuss pending litigation.