NARROWSBURG — Installing emergency backup generators for the Town of Tusten has been a topic of conversation at recent town board meetings, and one step was taken to move the project forward at the most recent meeting last week.

The board voted in favor of signing a contract with Delaware Engineering for an electrical engineer's report for generators in the Town Hall and the Highway Department Barn.

However, there was some debate before the board called the question, and ultimately Councilman Tony Ritter abstained from voting.

The cost for the engineering report is $27,000 and Ritter was wary of that amount.

“I have a problem with the engineering firm getting paid that sum of money—it's a lot of money—for two RFP's (request for proposals), one for this building and one for the highway building.”

Councilwoman Jane Luchsinger said, “It's a lot of money, I agree. I don't like to do it, but New York State says any job over $20,000 requires an engineering report. We [already] went out for RFP's—we got zero.”

In the past year the board sent out an RFP for an electrical engineer and they received back two bids. But the board rejected the bids because they didn't meet all the requirements.

They again sent out a RFP and that time did not receive any bids. Luchsinger said several companies met with the town's Code Enforcement Officer, Jim Crowley, but then did not submit a proposal.

Supervisor Carol Ropke Wingert said the companies said the project was too complicated and that they needed an engineering report first. Crowley also recommended that the town hire an electrical engineer before looking at installing generators.

Luchsinger spoke with Delaware Engineering, the same firm that is working on the town's water system, and asked if they had an electrical engineer. They did and sent someone to look at the project in three days.

Wingert said the firm will offer a preliminary design and operational study, work plan, design services, bid assistance and construction phase engineering. From there they will give those plans to generator companies.

“Once the RFP is designed, what happens if we don't get any bids back?” said Ritter.

Luchsinger explained that Delaware Engineering has contacts with several companies and while they can't guarantee they will receive bids, they have a good chance.

“You can't see into the future,” Wingert said. “My opinion is we have waited for too long, we have gone through too many disasters in this town. This needs to go forward, we have to do what we have to do. I'm not an electrical engineer, but we need the engineering.”

Ritter agreed that the job needs to be done, but still probed the cost, asking if there were any other engineering firms that would do it for a lower price tag. The council members voted to move forward with Delaware Engineering.

Riverfest organizers apologize for nudity

At this year's Riverfest, a free event presented by Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) on July 28, there was a performance by LAVA Dance Company in which two of the female dancers appeared topless.

The town and the DVAA received complaints and at the recent town board meeting the DVAA submitted a letter apologizing for the incident.

The letter stated that LAVA Dance Company did not consult them about their performance, and they were unaware that nudity would take place.

“This dance segment was entirely inappropriate in an open space performance plan for a general audience at a community street festival,” the letter says.

After this incident the DVAA adopted a policy that performances at Riverfest “may not include nudity or offensive political speech, performances may not endanger the audience in any fashion and performances must be suitable for all ages.”

Plastic recycling program a success

Last month Councilwoman and Tusten Energy Committee Chair Brandi Merolla announced an initiative to recycle “soft plastic,” which is a term for any plastics that can be scrunched into a ball or broken by hand that cannot typically be recycled by a regular recycling plant.

These items include plastic bags or food wrappers, such as bread bags. Merolla created drop-off boxes for people to drop off their soft plastics, and she collects and brings it to Weis in Honesdale where they bring it to a company that turns the plastic into outdoor deck materials.

Merolla said the company offers a special promotion where if you turn in 500 pounds of plastic within six months they make a bench out of the material.

At the recent town board meeting, Merolla said in just 12 days she has already collected 183 pounds.

The drop-off boxes are located at Pete's Market, Town Hall lobby, Post Office lobby, Narrowsburg Union, Narrowsburg Proper, Citgo Gas Station and St. Francis Food Pantry.

“I'm very excited about it, because none of that now goes into a landfill,” Merolla said.

Public hearing on new zoning laws

Zoning Re-Write Committee Chair Kathy Michell said they have the final versions of the mass gathering and noise zoning laws. A public hearing will be held at the next town board meeting on Tuesday, September 10 at 6:15 p.m.