Schoharie’s savings is Central Bridge’s gain.
In the wake of Hurricane Irene in 2011 and then Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the Town of Schoharie was awarded $3 million to restore Stony Brook through the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program.
The stream had been undermined by flooding, something that compromised the stability of nearby Stony Brook Road.
The work there is substantially complete and under budget—by about $1.2 million.
The Town of Esperance was also awarded $3 million through the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, $1 million of which it set aside for improvements to the Central Bridge Water Filtration Plant, where, Assemblyman Chris Tague told Governor Cuomo in a July 1 letter, things are “dire” and needed upgrades include replacing the century-old water mains.
“Unfortunately, due to a protracted bidding process, of no fault of the localities, the costs of the project have increased substantially, with the lowest bid coming in more than $1 million over budget,” Assemblyman Tague wrote.
Initial bids estimated the Central Bridge work at about $1.6 million, Schoharie Supervisor Alan Tavenner said; instead they came in more than $1 million over budget at $2.6 million.
The Central Bridge plant serves residents of both the Towns of Schoharie and Esperance, Assemblyman Tague said, and it would only make sense to allow Schoharie to transfer the balance of the Stony Brook money to fund the gap there, a point Mr. Tavenner also argued in his own letter to Governor Cuomo.
And the state agreed.
Because both projects are funded through the Irene and Lee appropriations, Alana Agosto, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, wrote Schoharie Supervisor Alan Tavenner in a July 29 letter, the transfer has been approved.
“This is good news for Central Bridge,” Mr. Tavenner said, with the “Towns of Esperance and Schoharie, the EPA, our Assemblyman and the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery all working together to make the right thing happen.
“This was a joint effort of the type that is sorely lacking in the world today.”