The October 6 Marbletown Town Board meeting addressed aqueduct leaks, federal pandemic-relief funds, the proposed 2027 budget, and a range of appointments and resolutions.

Ken Brezner of Walden Engineering continued the quarterly presentations on Catskill Aqueduct leaks, which have affected approximately 600 properties.

“DEP is providing funding for the Aqueduct Neighborhoods Support Program,” according to the town’s Projects webpage. “This program includes funding a variety of different project types for qualified properties that both the town’s consulting engineer (Walden Engineering) and DEP concur are specifically impacted by the leak in the pressure tunnel portion of the aqueduct, and that the specific project would mitigate impacts from the leak.”

NYSDEP is continuing a reimbursement program for businesses and households that can demonstrate, through Walden Engineering’s surveys, that water damage was conclusively caused by aqueduct leakage. Piezometers, cylindrical instruments used to monitor subsurface water conditions and pressure, are being used in the ongoing investigation. Brezner has “biweekly meetings with Marbletown and DEP.”

A second aqueduct shutdown is planned for January 2027. Estimates presented previously indicate that the aqueduct leaks between 3 million and 10 million gallons per day.

Tentative 2027 Budget Presentation

Supervisor Rich Parete outlined the major cost increases in the tentative 2027 budget.

“The biggest drivers are: our retirement is up $26,000, health insurance $70,000, union and non-union raises at 4%, it’s $79,500. We’re increasing contingency,” Parete said. He also noted that the 4,600 gallons of fuel oil needed to fill the system at the Rondout Municipal Center cost $24,000.

With an appropriated surplus of $100,000 used to reduce the tax levy, the anticipated General Fund tax levy is $874,839, a nearly 6.5% increase. The Highway Fund tax levy is $1,724,500, and has a lower projected increase, around 5% according to the tentative budget document.

“The water district, the two fire protection districts, the ambulance district and the lighting district – there’s no increase. So, overall, it’s a 4.78% increase,” he said.

Appointments, Vehicles and The Roost

The board retained attorney Paul T. Kellar, Esq., as special counsel at an hourly rate of $450.

“Highway law. He understands all that stuff,” Parete said.

Mary Azaria was appointed to the Board of Assessment Review for a five-year term. Parete praised her contribution, saying, “She’s a really valuable member.”

The board authorized the Marbletown Highway Department to purchase a Falcon 4-ton asphalt hot-patcher dump trailer for $41,850. CHIPS funds will pay for the equipment, which is used for thermal road repairs, including pothole patching.

The board also waived the 30-day waiting period for on-premises liquor sales at The Roost, a family bistro at 3542 Main Street in Stone Ridge.

Property Tax Cap Override

The proposed local law to override the property tax levy limit for fiscal year 2027 marks a step the town has not taken since the ambulance district was established in 2021.

“The tax cap is actually about 3%,” Parete said. “We’re not going over it far, but you know our town costs have gone up.”

Parete explained that the town must approve a resolution authorizing a potential override, even before deciding whether to exceed the tax cap. The resolution was tabled until the next meeting, scheduled for October 20.

“Gas, oil, health insurance, retirement is up substantially. We’re not immune from those problems,” Parete added.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds

Resolutions 109, 110 and 111 addressed the reallocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, the ARPA provided financial assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Marbletown received State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) intended to support a range of eligible projects.

Reallocation allows local governments to redirect excess or remaining funds from one previously approved project to another eligible use, according to the National Association of Counties.

In Marbletown, funds originally allocated to the Stone Ridge/Route 209 Corridor Water Project were redirected to three other projects under Resolutions 109, 110 and 111.

Resolution 109: High Falls Water District. The board reallocated $300,000 in ARPA funds to the High Falls Water District Water Meter Replacement Project. The district is replacing valve boxes and meters, and $225,006 has been paid to date.

Resolution 110: Town Park Improvements. The Town Park Improvement Project will receive $111,386.87 in reallocated funds. Two resolutions adopted in 2024, one of them by Ulster County, provided for the reallocation of ARPA funding for park improvements. Planned work includes replacing the park bathrooms, improving the pavilion and constructing a second, smaller pavilion.

Resolution 111: Pickleball Courts. The board reallocated $23,785 for the Rondout Municipal Center pickleball courts.

The resolution states that “SLFRF funds may be reclassified from the town’s previously identified Stone Ridge/Route 209 Corridor Water Project to the Rondout Municipal Center Pickleball Court Project.”

Parete said the funding “would reimburse us for the fence and for the striping we’ve done” on the courts at the Rondout Municipal Center.

Hardenburgh Hills: Request to Waive Road Specifications

Dan Kohler of Hudson Land Design returned to the board to continue discussions stemming from the September 28 Planning Board meeting.

Parete described the request as an appeal to waive certain road requirements at Hardenburgh Hills, specifically the shoulder specifications, while strengthening the road surface before winter.

Kohler said the proposed changes would comply with fire codes governing emergency vehicle access. He also noted that the road had been in use for 25 years without structural problems. He is preparing to install a two-inch asphalt top course, considering safeguards for private road ownership, and said there was still a short window in which to establish grass.

Max Stratton said he planned to review the project’s details. The board discussed the need for signed statements from property owners confirming their full understanding of the proposal and ensuring clarity among all stakeholders.

Discussion is expected to resume at the October 20 meeting.