WHITE LAKE — Smallwood-Mongaup Valley firefighters would like to finish their 9/11 Memorial Park, which features a piece of the Twin Towers near the firehouse on Ballard Road.

“But we are burned out, fundraisered out, volunteered out - however one wishes to put it, we're tuckered out and need help!” the 9/11 Memorial Park Committee wrote to Bethel Supervisor Dan Sturm earlier this month.

From the Ladies Auxiliary to Sullivan Renaissance, $70,000 has been raised and donated to the effort since 2011, according to firefighter Lisa Wood, a driving force behind the memorial's creation.

Close to $11,000 is needed, however, to install a retaining wall and fence, according to estimates the Committee has obtained from two contractors.

“In light of what this park means to not only the residents of Smallwood but also residents of the entire town and county,” wrote the Committee, “we would ask that the strongest consideration be given to our request and that there be an open discussion, if appropriate, to consider this matter.”

That discussion happened at Wednesday's town board meeting, where Deputy Supervisor Vicky Vassmer-Simpson related that the town's $100,000 Golden Feather Award from Renaissance cannot be used toward something not owned by the town.

The memorial is on fire department property.

That crushed listeners like Wood, who stormed out while accusing the town of having lied to her.

“Dan had said, ‘We'll make it happen,'” she told the Democrat afterwards. “I questioned him several times, and he repeatedly said, ‘Don't worry about it - we'll make it happen.'

“He encouraged us to write that letter, to bring it to the town board, and to basically beg, which is what we did,” she lamented.

Sturm confirmed asking the Committee to write the letter, but he said that was before he discovered the restriction on the Golden Feather monies.

“I encouraged Lisa - and anybody in town - if they had an idea for the Golden Feather, to send them to me and we'd consider it,” he explained. “... I didn't mislead. I didn't lie.”

Since Wednesday's meeting, he talked with the town's grantwriter and found out the county Planning Division's Plans & Progress program might be able to provide grant funding later this year.

The Committee would have to apply, but the town will support them, he promised.

“She's really done a great job, as has that whole Committee,” Sturm said of Wood and crew. “We've worked together in the past, and I hope that continues.”

Camping fees change

Reflecting the fact that camping permits for four or less campsites are no longer needed, the town board unanimously agreed on Wednesday to eliminate the associated $50 permit fee.

However, the board did agree to institute a campground license fee of $250 on the first application and $150 on any subsequent application. It would apply to temporary camping featuring five or more campsites.

Charging stations coming?

Bethel wants to be part of a movement to attract electric car owners - and their wallets - to downtown areas.

“We want to put one charging station with two ports in the Justice Court parking lot,” Sturm explained Wednesday.

That lot is adjacent to Kauneonga Lake, where officials and businesspeople hope the cars' occupants would wander, eat and shop while waiting for their vehicles to charge (which can take hours).

A NYS Department of Environmental Conservation grant, if awarded, would pay 80 percent of the estimated $26,000 installation cost, and the town's share might be reduced further by a proposed county program to help pay for such.

“The consumer,” Sturm noted, “would pay for the electricity.”

“It makes us a destination and puts us more on the map,” predicted Vassmer-Simpson, who said the town's Green Committee supports the idea.

Such a station, however, would likely have to be monitored by police to ensure people don't stay parked by the charger beyond the time it actually takes to charge their car.

“I hope we have that issue,” Sturm replied, obliquely referring to the fact that not a lot of people yet own an all-electric vehicle.