KINGSTON – Andrea Smith wanted to host a family reunion at her house on Route 209 in Wawarsing. But she couldn't. In fact, she can't even invite friends to enjoy a small barbeque in her yard for fear of the increasing number of sinkholes populating her property, including the 3-foot hole she fell into when the ground gave way under her feet one day.

Julianne Lennon, Smith's neighbor, said her sump pump runs every 7 seconds during flooding, or, rather, seepage times.

At issue is the water's source, which, most people agree, stems from the 35 million gallon-a-day leak in the Delaware Aqueduct that lays some 700 feet below the section of town. The DEP is officially still "studying" the issue, despite previous studies reflecting a direct correlation.

Smith addressed the Ulster County Legislature last week, asking for their approval on a memorializing resolution supporting state Assembly bill A-10140. The bill authorizes the use of about $4 million in state funding to buy out the 35 property owners subjected to ongoing or repeated incidents of seepage and flooding. The legislature voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

Legislator Terry Bernardo (R-Kerhonkson), whose district includes the town of Wawarsing, isn't satisfied that enough is being done to move the bill through the state assembly. She notes that, though Assemblyman Kevin Cahill carried it to the floor, the bill has since been referred to the housing committee.

Citing the need for urgency, Bernardo offered to drive a group of residents to Albany to meet with Vito Lopez, who chairs the housing committee, in hopes that the bill doesn't languish in committee. Cahill's office staff reported that a letter formally requesting the committee chair to look at this priority bill was sent last week.

Safety Net
Calling the Daily Freeman's coverage of the Safety Net issue Kingston-centric, Town of Rochester Supervisor Carl Chipman told the county's legislative body that there are different viewpoints on the matter.

In April, Kingston mayor James Sottile and Ulster County legislative chair, Fred Wadnola called for changes in the way the Safety Net program is funded after it was discovered that Kingston was paying for clients of the program who live outside the city's boundaries.

Of New York State's 61 counties, Ulster is the only county that collects Safety Net reimbursement from local municipalities. Sottile wants the county take over the program — or, at the very least, have it phased into county hands during a five-year period.

Chipman said he does not support a funding change and suggested that billing accuracy be made a priority "so that each municipality pay its fair share instead of trying to move fiscal responsibility elsewhere." He said he uses Real Property records, instead of ZIP codes, and "good, old-fashioned legwork" to determine billing to his town — a system that enabled him to successfully challenge $42,000 in erroneous Safety Net charges last year alone.

Legislative Agenda
The county legislature referred back to committee a long-standing resolution that, if passed, would have granted the 45 members of Ulster County Staff Association the raises they've been waiting for since 2005.

Democratic Minority Leader Jeanette Provenzano questioned how a committee chair could arbitrarily pull a resolution from the floor.

The contract would give UCSA members uncompounded 3.25 percent adjustments for each of four years they've worked without a contract, however, the retro pay would come in the form of a "compression payment," which actually amounts to only 60 percent of that money.

Other resolutions, adopted unanimously, included the creation of a special task force to study policy decisions necessary to examine the long-term financial viability of operating the Golden Hill Health Care Center, and, a resolution eliminating a deputy assistant county executive position. Vin Martello, county executive Mike Hein's director of communications, has been recently assigned to a reclassified position with the county health department.