The Shawangunk Town Board cancelled the town’s summer camp for this year during a virtual meeting on Thursday.

“I don’t know if by the first week of July if we’ll even be allowed to run a camp or get permitted to have a camp,” said Town Councilman Adrian Dewitt.

Dewitt said he was concerned for returning summer employees and asked the board to make a decision so they could find other employment if they were to cancel.

Councilman Matthew Watkins noted the school district has had conversations in weeks past about the difficulties in trying to have 5-year-olds wear a mask all day long at school.

“The concern we have [is that] it will be difficult to maintain the distancing,” said Watkins. “Believe you me, I want to have it, I think a lot of families would love to have it, but the way things are going, I just don’t see that we’ll be able to within that short period of time.”

“I hate to see it go backwards, because when you take a year off, it’s hard to get it going again, but I don’t think we have a choice,” Dewitt agreed.

The board decided unanimously to cancel the summer camp for this year, but Dewitt noted that if the state relieves regulations by mid-summer, the town may still be able to do day trips.

In other business, the board voted to approve $6,300 for required monitoring of the landfill.

Town Supervisor John Valk advised the board that they need to watch their expenses as the town is losing revenue during the pandemic with no rentals or court fines. He estimated that the town will see a loss of approximately $75,000.

The town is still moving forward however, with capital improvements such as roads. Highway Superintendent Joseph LoCicero stated that they plan to finish blacktopping Dennison, First and Second Streets in the hamlet, as well as three roads in Walker Valley.

The highway department is still operating in split shifts and projects are taking a little longer.

“We just ask that people in the community understand that we can’t run out and I don’t have the manpower all the time to get things done right away,” said LoCicero. “We’re getting to it. We’re coming. We’re working hard.”
Supervisor Valk stated that the town hall is still closed and they are working at obtaining Plexiglas to install at certain locations in the building.

Meanwhile, the town is working to help residents during the current crisis. The police department has given out about 400 masks obtained from Ulster County and has more to distribute to any in need. They are coordinating with other services and participating in drive by celebrations.

The Lion’s Club has also been very active in assisting residents and a local business in Walker Valley is operating a food pantry and delivering over 30 meals. Through Ulster County’s Project Resilience, up to 135 meals are being distributed throughout the town each week.

“We are doing a lot, without forming a committee,” said Supervisor Valk. “There’s enough organizations working here and with the county program that I think the needs are getting met, but I could be wrong.”

Police Chief Gerald Marlatt advised the board that filling the two open full-time officer positions is on hold as Civil Service is “at a standstill.” They are waiting for the YMCA to open so they can conduct physical agility tests.
Marlatt recommended that the town “wait out the storm” and see what they can do about getting back on track “once this is over.”

Wallkill Firehouse
“The Wallkill firehouse went out to bid, the bids were opened, and it’s game on for them, is the way it was put to me,” said Planning Board Chairman Mark Watkins.

Watkins said the board is working with the engineers and architects for the project and he received the final plans earlier that day. They will be reviewed to make sure all of the required changes from the planning board have been completed.

“I’m hoping that I’ll be able to sign those maps on Monday and they can move forward on building the firehouse,” said Watkins.

The town board members welcomed the good news and Supervisor Valk noted that perhaps in the near future the town could enter negotiations for purchasing the old firehouse for use as the town police station.