ELLENVILLE – United States Senator Charles Schumer made a special trip to the Wawarsing area last week, in order to assure Kerhonkson residents that he will fight for funding to upgrade water and sewage infrastructure in the hamlet.

The Town of Wawarsing, in 2009, had submitted an application to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in order to receive federal grant money for upgrades to Kerhonkson's antiquated system. And, it appeared that everything was moving along smoothly, with the USDA agreeing to the $4.6 million project.

But, at the end of 2009, the USDA summarily changed the population eligibility requirements, leaving Kerhonkson in the lurch — this after the Town of Wawarsing had spent a great deal of time and effort laying the groundwork for the project. Now, Schumer says that he intends to put pressure on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to reverse this change, or at least to have the federal agency grandfather those projects that had received preliminary approval before the new interpretation of the rule went into effect.

Schumer was joined by local officials at a press conference last week, where he vowed to do everything he can to ensure that Wawarsing receives the funding it had been promised.

"We know times are tough," Schumer said. "It's hard for families to balance their checkbooks at the end of the month; it's hard for local governments to deliver services. They certainly don't want to raise taxes, because taxes are [too high]. The cost of services is going up and revenue is going down."

Schumer said that, in such times, municipalities have nowhere to turn but the federal government, especially when it comes to grants for major capital expenditures.

"Often times the federal government has stepped up to the plate, to make it a little easier for towns like Wawarsing…to get their water," Schumer said.

Schumer said that the federal government, in the past, has been very generous with this, but that the current recession has changed the tone in Washington. The senator is referring to a rule at the USDA that designates towns with fewer than 10,000 people as "rural," thereby making those towns with higher populations ineligible for USDA funding for water and sewage projects.

In the past, according to a press release from Schumer's office, the eligibility requirements were actually as high as 50,000 residents, and, even after this number was lowered to 10,000 in 2002, the USDA was somewhat flexible when it comes to towns just over the threshold. According to the 2000 census, Wawarsing's population stands at just under 13,000 residents, thereby making it ineligible for the grants. Schumer feels that, since the application process was started before the new interpretation went into effect, Wawarsing should receive the money it was promised in a Preliminary Eligibility Determination letter that was sent to Wawarsing by the USDA in 2009.

Wawarsing Town Supervisor Lenny Distel, who was joined at the press conference by Councilmen Steve Bradley and John Gavaris, said that he, too, feels that the change was abrupt, and that the USDA should stand by its earlier agreement.

Distel also said that he feels that the USDA isn't very responsive when it comes to the concerns for smaller communities like Wawarsing.

"I sent a letter back on May 7 to Dave Miller, community program director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Syracuse, New York," Distel said. "I have yet to receive a reply."

Distel also said that he feels that the rule for small towns is somewhat arbitrary, as there are sections of Wawarsing — such as Kerhonkson and Napanoch, the latter of which is also experiencing water problems — that are really smaller enclaves in a much larger geographic area. The idea that Wawarsing would have a town-wide water district is impractical, which by extension means that the 10,000 population rule really doesn't apply in the way it was intended. Distel thinks that the Kerhonkson Water District should be eligible for consideration as its own separate entity.

As of now, Senator Schumer has sent a letter to Secretary Vilsack, asking that several towns in New York which have fallen victim to the rule-change should be grandfathered.

"I respectfully urge that all New York communities that applied…and received preliminary eligibility determination letters be considered for review," the letter reads. Schumer also said that he had had a conversation with the secretary and that the meeting went well.

"He seemed positive when I talked to him," Schumer said. "So we'll have to see."