UPPER DELAWARE RIVER, NY and PA — The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) met on July 2 and discussed funding and an official response to PennDOT’s Skinner Falls Bridge mitigation plan.

Funding

Laurie Ramie, the UDC’s executive director, explained to board members that the organization had previously received a $5,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York’s Small Business Grant Program. 

The Federal Home Loan Bank assists with funding home mortgages and small businesses. Starting in late May, the bank, offered 5 million dollars in funding to small businesses, which the UDC qualified for.

Ramie added that she would want the grant to be used on a new graphic designer, as the program previously used to create the UDC”s newsletter was out of date. Adobe Indesign is now what Ramie would have to use, which she said she was having a difficult time understanding.

“We’re spending way too much time trying to do something that’s not in our wheelhouse necessarily,” she said.

Ramie emphasized that this would be a part-time position, and that the designer would teach Ramie and Stephanie Driscoll, UDC Administrative Support, how to use Indesign.

Ramie added that Congressman Josh Riley, who represents Sullivan County, had a representative at the Western Sullivan Public Library on June 24 for open office hours where members of the public could raise concerns and ask questions.

Ramie stated that she and Cathleen Breen, the UDC’s Tusten representative, explained to Riley’s representative Eric Ball the UDC’s mission and operations.

“He took copious notes on his laptop as we were speaking. He listened attentively,” Ramie said about Ball.

Ramie’s conversation with Ball was a similar one to her previous conversation with Assembly Member Deborah Glick, which later helped the UDC gain $100,000 in funding from the state.

Skinners Falls Bridge Mitigation

After PennDOT’s meeting to discuss potential mitigation for the Skinners Falls Bridge on June 17, Ramie told the board that she had written a letter to PennDOT in response to the proposed memorandum. 

“I thought it would be appropriate to get the UDC’s comment into the public record by sending a letter,” she commented.

The Skinners Falls Bridge was a historic bridge connecting Skinners Falls and Milanville. PennDOT demolished the bridge last year due to safety concerns, following reports of its structural unsoundness. In the June 17 meeting, PennDOT proposed $500,000 to mitigate the damage to the area's historic character caused by the bridge's destruction, to be split between a grant program administered by the UDC and a monument.

The letter, which summarized PennDOT’s proposed mitigation, showed support of the $300,000 in funding that would be going to the UDC and the distribution of remaining pieces of the bridge to historical societies and townships on a first come, first served basis. 

Ramie expressed a desire to use some of the $300,000 grant funds for “administrative compensation”. 

The letter did not show support for the proposed $200,000 towards a monument utilizing recovered bridge pieces. 

“We have reservations over how salvaged bridge parts would be aesthetically and respectfully incorporated,” the letter read. The letter suggested that a better use of the $200,000 may be informational panels that demonstrate the significance of the bridge as a connector between communities. 

Christine Martin, the UDC's Highland representative, also expressed dismay at the suggestion of a $200,000 monument. 

“It wouldn’t cost a full $200,000 to do that, so I’m wondering if there’s additional funds available,” she questioned. “Would it be possible to recommend a study that could look at creating a new bridge?” 

Larry Richardson, Cochecton representative, echoed Martin’s sentiments, commenting that the UDC “should be advocating for studying that recognizes the value of having a bridge there.”

“It was historic, it was important to us, and that importance hasn’t gone away,” he continued. 

Ramie explained that the idea of a pedestrian bridge was brought up at PennDOT’s meeting, but was quickly “brought back down” due to a lack of funding. 

“$500,000 is the total amount that would come through the federal highway administration for these mitigation measures,” she clarified.

Ramie added that in terms of studying the bridge itself, she would anticipate the PennDOT response would be that was the purpose of the studies conducted prior to destroying the bridge. 

The next UDC meeting will be on Aug 6.