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City Funds $200K For Roundhouse Site
By Ken Baumel
PORT JERVIS — The Common Council took a step towards tapping a $2 million New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) grant to clean up pollution.
At the most recent council meeting held at City Hall, the council approved a Port Jervis Community Development Agency (CDA) request for the city to expend by September $200,000 left from an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to the city.
CDA Director Kathy Hendrickson explained that the Roundhouse property, located adjacent to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) railroad station and the Great American Plaza, has significant underground petrochemical pollution, a plume of oil and byproducts that is concentrated in seven acres within the 8.67-acre Roundhouse property. But, parts of the plume extend beyond the Roundhouse.
The clean-up is part of the city Master Plan for redeveloping the city’s commercial downtown area. The council approved expending the money by awarding a Roundhouse property Intermediate Design Plan project to Chazen, a company with expertise in environmental clean-ups.
Hendrickson said that the city already received $578,000 in federal and state grants in recent years for environmental clean-up projects, including the Roundhouse property.
Mayor Russ Potter said that [experts have advised that] the city needs an estimated $2 million total to clean up the property.
Chazen was not the low bidder among four companies that submitted bids for the Intermediate Design Plan, but Hendrickson said that EPA and New York State Environmental Commission (DEC) recommended Chazen’s plan as the one that best meets the city needs.
The city must have the Intermediate plan in place to qualify for $2 million from DEC to do the clean-up. She said that DEC would accept the $200,000 study as a local match required to qualify for $2 million in DEC grants.
The city qualified for the EPA grants when EPA designated the property as a Brownfield Zone. Brownfields qualify for EPA clean-up grants.
After the site is cleaned up, the city plans to develop an eco-tourism complex at the Roundhouse, including a railroad museum.
The re-development of the Roundhouse is also part of the city Downtown Master Plan, which includes a comprehensive economic and cultural revitalization.
The CDA is overseeing not only the Roundhouse re-development, but also the downtown waterfront development and Front Street-Jersey Avenue pedestrian promenade, part of the Master Plan.
Rotary Sending
Relief To Haiti
PORT JERVIS — The Port Jervis Rotary Club has purchased a ShelterBox to be delivered to Haiti following the devastating earthquake this past week.
ShelterBox has been a choice of Rotary Clubs all over the world to send the immediate relief that is so desperately needed to ravaged areas.
Each ShelterBox contains a tent for 10 people that can endure extremes in temperature, wind and rain along with blankets, cooking equipment, water purification, stove, tools and even items for children such as coloring books and crayons.
All items are new and have been customized to suit the area where they will be deployed.
“It is our responsibility as Rotarians and as humanitarians to do everything in our power to help Haitians begin the long journey to healing and recovery from this unimaginable disaster”, says Debbie Valentine, President of the Port Jervis Rotary.
The Port Jervis Rotary is no stranger to ShelterBox as they have sent them for the last several years to various places around the globe. ShelterBox Founder Tom Henderson says support at this time is crucial. “The support we’ve seen in the last few days has been staggering,’ he said.
“It’s all hands on deck for ShelterBox right across the globe. People in Haiti need our help and we won’t stop until they get it. If you can help, in any way at all, I’d urge you to do so.”
The Port Jervis Rotary Club will be happy to accept donations toward the purchase of another ShelterBox and you may send contributions made payable to: “Rotary Club of Port Jervis”, P.O. Box 511, Port Jervis, NY 12771.
Please make a notation on your check/money order for “ShelterBox Haiti”.
School Referendums Pass Second Time Around
By Ken Baumel
PORT JERVIS — Voters strongly supported the two referendum propositions presented by Port Jervis School District (PJSD) for capital projects last week.
Proposition 1, for $11.5 million, is to improve energy efficiency and implement safety initiatives. Proposition 2, for $3.1 million, is to upgrade phone systems in classrooms, renovate five science-lab classrooms, and upgrade High School student lockers and Guidance rooms. The two propositions totaled $14.6 million.
Voter turnout was high, despite harsh weather. PJSD announced that the initial tally was as follows: Proposition 1,984 for and 552 against; Proposition 2,931 for and 600 against. The vote passed in all voting districts.
Voters rejected a similar $14.6 million-referendum capital project late last year, with 549 residents voting against and 523 voting for the proposal.
School officials were buoyed by last week’s voter turnout and support for the proposals.
Assistant Superintendent John Mr. Bell explained that PJSD needed the higher turnout for the proposals to pass. Learning a lesson from the defeat of the Nov. 23 referendum, PJSD went back to the drawing board.
Bell said that PJSD did professional cost analyses of potential energy savings for each proposition. These analyses showed savings each year by doing the upgrades, according to Assistant Superintendent of Finance Lorelei Case and Bell.
Case estimated savings to be more than $186,000 per year during the 15-year period of bond payback. Such savings should more than offset the annual local share of the proposed work, according to Case.
Bell said that if voters shot down the proposed projects again, PJSD would still need to do most of the renovations and improvements to comply with state building code requirements.
According to Bell, PJSD would need to commit to the work for the next school year. PJSD would have included the projects in their July 2010 budget.
Case said that if voters rejected the proposals, PJSD would not qualify for $676,000 in EXCEL funds state aid that PJSD wanted to tap to offset part of project cost. The deadline for qualifying for that aid ends in early March…for complete story, get this week's issue.
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