The basement of the Hunt Memorial Building has a $2 million emergency shelter, built with grant money and equipped with kitchen equipment, bathrooms and beds. It is ready and waiting for use. But it’s not staffed, nor can it be – since the Village of Ellenville does not have the money to do that.

Moreover, funding for the project was for an emergency shelter only, meaning that it cannot be used for anything less than an emergency, such as flooding or a massive fire.

One question not completely answered yet is whether it can be pressed into service as a warming center. There are occasions on especially cold days when the extreme temperature might be seen as an emergency situation. However, since it is formally placed under the control of the Red Cross in the event of a disaster or flood, there appears to be no mechanism to operate it outside of a real “emergency.”

With once more winter approaching, the village board discussed this issue once again. County Legislator John Gavaris, who represents the village in the legislature, explained that the shelter requires the activation of a “code blue” emergency by County Executive Jen Metzger.

What sparked this frustrating conversation was a comment from Trustee Samantha Ellis, who noted that during power outages in winter months a number of people who require continuously operating machines – respirators, home dialysis, etc. – have to be collected and taken to Ellenville Regional Hospital. Ellis wondered why they couldn’t just go to the emergency shelter. That question lead, naturally, to the next: “Who would be there at the shelter, running it?”

And there we are again at the lack of funding. Mayor Trent said he would work to have a meeting with the Town of Wawarsing to “hammer out” what could be done about this situation.

Clinton Avenue Bridge

Mayor Trent updated the village board regarding the Clinton Avenue bridge, a project that has spanned at least a decade now. Currently the bridge’s road is in use, but the sidewalk is not due to dangerous conditions. This leads to pedestrians, including kids on their way to school, walking on the roadbed at the same time as cars and trucks.

The price tag on a new bridge to replace the current one is now set at $2 million. The work, organized by the NYS Department of Transportation, is set to begin in the spring of 2025.

No News is Good News with Orbeez Guns

In late spring, teenagers firing Orbeez guns in public places set off headlines. These are trendy toys that shoot harmless gel beads. The problem wasn’t so much the projectiles, but the fact that these guns can look very much like real firearms.

Chief Mattracion of the Ellenville Police expressed concern and frustration with teenagers waving around toys that can look like real guns. He noted that when police are called because someone has seen a person with what they assumed to be a real gun on the street in the village, police have to make split second decisions. Is the black device in the young person’s hand a real gun or something else? Clearly a very dangerous situation.

However, Mattracion noted that some parents had taken actions after the Orbeez guns became a public issue. “They took some away,” he told the meeting on Monday. “This seems to have died down. We had no sightings of these Orbeez guns in August.”

Sewer Expenses Continue

Mike Ryman of the Ellenville Sewer department reported that an emergency replacement was needed for an effluent flow meter from NSI. Cost $13,545. The board approved the motion. The board also approved the renewal of the one-year contract with Koester for equipment maintenance at a fee of $4,509.

Berme Road Park

Mayor Trent said he planned to meet with Town Supervisor Terry Houck and engineer Dennis Larios shortly to discuss remaining issues with Berme Road Park.