Log in Subscribe

Picking up the pieces

Town of Callicoon gets back on its feet after tornado

by Alex Kielar
Posted 5/12/23

JEFFERSONVILLE — As they continue to pick up the pieces from the April tornado, the Town of Callicoon is reporting a busy season that will only get busier.  

Highway Superintendent …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Picking up the pieces

Town of Callicoon gets back on its feet after tornado

Posted

JEFFERSONVILLE — As they continue to pick up the pieces from the April tornado, the Town of Callicoon is reporting a busy season that will only get busier. 

Highway Superintendent Mike Haff reported to the Callicoon Town Board on May 8 that mostly everything is cleaned up from the tornado on April 22. 

“There’s a few stumps [and] a few piles of wood around,” Haff said. “Most of the chipping is done, with the help of Kevin Klein, who pulled a lot of the stuff apart with his excavator.”

“I would like to say thank you to Mike and all the guys for their extraordinary work,” Town Supervisor Tom Bose said. “Not only cleaning up after the storm, but also playing a part in checking in on the welfare of some of the residents that were affected by the storm.” 

Town cleanup will be today, Friday, May 12, and tomorrow, Saturday, May 13, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the board reminded residents not to dump anything on Sunday. 

There was a dumpster provided by Sullivan County Division of Public Works (DPW) for residents affected by the storm to get rid of construction and demolition debris. The county will haul it and there is no dumping fee. Bose said that it will remain there at least through this week and they will look into extending it if need be.

Kris Scullion, the town’s Code Enforcement Officer, also reported a busy season following the April storm. He is working with residents who were affected by the tornado and a lot of people are still dealing with insurance. 

“I just let them know to come and see me if they need anything,” Scullion said. 

Scullion talked about a lot of permits going out, including small projects like roof replacement but also onto bigger projects like pole buildings and garages. 

He said he recently spoke to Village of Jeffersonville Mayor, Bill Chellis, about the Callicoon Center Fire Company building, and that the Mayor got the title back. They noted that once Chellis has an opportunity to read through the title, they will set a closing date on the building. 

The board approved the suggestion to waive any permit fees needed for construction on houses and buildings that were impacted by the storm. Scullion said that there isn’t a ton of money that will be lost in revenue as it is basically just fixing a lot of siding and roofs. The board set an end date of September 1 for the fee waiver.

 

Other business

Highway Superintendent Haff said that they are looking at three options for a new dirt roller and will weigh their options over the next several weeks. The options are a Cat, Volvo, and Wacker Neuson, while Haff stated his two top choices are the Cat and the Volvo. He said that he has a good working relationship with the supplier of the Volvo, Alta Equipment. 

They will go take a look at one or two of the options and make a decision on it. 

Haff also said that their new plow truck is all set for the paint shop and once it is painted it will be ready to roll. 

The board also set forth a reminder for the 9th Annual Car show on August 6 in Callicoon Center. 

Bose also said that he and Councilman Charlie Schadt spoke to the president of the Callicoon Center Band, Chuck Summers, about moving the band to the park. 

In previous years, according to Bose, the band wanted to do it, but it wasn’t all that possible. But now, Bose said that the band is more serious about it. He said that they suggested doing some fundraising and maybe a GoFundMe page to raise the funds for a new bandstand. 

Bose also said that, if it’s alright with the landowner, that they could leave the old bandstand where it is and make it a historical marker for all the years the band

played there. He said that this endeavor likely won’t happen this year, but it is something to keep in mind for next year. 

The insurance renewal was also proposed, and the board agreed to table their decision on it for the June meeting. Setting a date for the fall clean up was also tabled for next month’s meeting.

Bose also spoke about working towards getting the basketball court at the park repaved, as well as the parking lot. Bose said that Kevin Essleen from Essleen Paving was over to measure and gave them one proposal. He said they will probably have other proposals, as well. 

As the Democrat previously reported, the Town of Callicoon is proposing to undertake improvements within the Youngsville Water District by replacing the 90-year old water storage tank. Bose stated that the water tank replacement project is a Type Two action, which means it is not subject to further review. 

There were two other resolutions  regarding the Youngsville Water Tank replacement project. First, Bose said that the Town of Callicoon is committing local funds towards the application. The town will apply to the New York State Office of Community Renewal Progam, for the Community Development Block Grant via a public infrastructure application. The town has agreed to expend funds for grant administration, totaling $45,000, if the grant is succesful. That $45,000, as Bose stated, is from the ARPA Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. 

The third resolution was to provide assistance to low and moderate income households to connect to the Youngsville Water District as part of the new project. 

“We think there is a zero percent chance of anyone else connecting to the existing district,” Bose said. 

The Town Board commited to using Capital Improvement Fee and Capital Reserve Fund monies to assist low and moderate income residents by providing grants to pay for proposed new connections within the Youngsville Water District. 

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here