HORTONVILLE — Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez gave an overview presentation at the Town of Delaware monthly board meeting last week. He talked about county-wide activities and initiatives that could be improved and/or expanded with coordinated efforts of the towns and county.

One specific concern brought up by board members was the lack of volunteers for local fire departments and ambulance corps (EMS). Most people who would like to volunteer some time, do not have the time to commit to the 100-plus hours of training required. Councilman Alfred Steppich explained that some volunteers “may only want to sweep floors and roll hose,” and yet are required to complete all volunteer firefighter training. It was the general feeling that the all-or-nothing regulations make recruiting volunteers difficult for small towns. This needs to be addressed at the state level, according to Luis Alvarez, and the state has been, and will continue to be, approached repeatedly regarding this.

In other business, Supervisor Ed Sykes let the board know that the town had been turned down for a state flood control grant. It would have provided funds for work along Route 164 in Kohlertown. The county is re-applying for this grant after making some design changes to its mitigation plan.

Town clerk, Tess McBeath, reported that she's in the process of obtaining bids for work on the Callicoon railroad crossing. Work will include removing a section of track that is not connected to the rail line and upgrading the crossing. The board also approved moving forward with several other grant applications, including for water quality improvements, funds for the salt shed, and engineering planning for the wastewater treatment plant in Callicoon.

The board also authorized repairs to the Highway Department building, which is labeled a “structural integrity issue” with the overhead door frame in need of immediate repair.

Harold Roeder Jr. of the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) gave a report to the board, saying that current water levels are 9 billion gallons above storage median, but last year at this time 18 billion gallons above the median. Roeder also addressed his concerns with the future of UDC, which has not been receiving the needed federal funds. They used to be distributed annually and spent by the UDC as needed, but are now on a reimbursement plan, where the UDC must submit receipts and wait for approval and payment. The lag in federal reimbursement may leave the UDC without operating funds as early as September. Without a functioning UDC there will be a lack of a cohesive plan for managing the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River area.

A brief update on the Hospital Road solar installation was received. The project has been reduced in size and the initial decommissioning cost is $61,000 (with a 2.5% annual adjustment for inflation).