SAMANTHA MONTAGNA
MAMAKATING — Since the town of Mamakating purchased the Dutch Reformed Church, they have been working to raise money to repair the building to its former glory. The current focus is on repairing the roof since it has been patched before, but it is still leaking. The town has since chosen a contractor and hired an architect, but the contractor did not have the necessary Scaffold Insurance required by law in New York State, and as of the meeting on September 7, the contractor could not obtain it. As a result, the board voted to put out another solicitation of bids for the church’s roof replacement.
Town Supervisor Janet Lybolt stated that New York State is the only state in the country that requires this insurance, and the contractor could not find a policy for under $40,000, so it would not be feasible for him to complete the job at the promised bid. She also stated that the next round of bids needs to include the Scaffold Insurance.
Public Comments
During public comment, Mike Robbins asked the board if there was anyway to patch the roof since it is leaking, and this new bid process could take months. Robbins also stated that the church is a town building, and the board would not let the State Police building (for example) leak for so long. Lybolt responded that the roof was already patched, and it is leaking again. She also stated that the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation can get someone to patch the roof in the meantime or put a tarp on the roof to cover it if they wish to.
Sullivan County Democrat
