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Shandaken supervisor outlines midyear progress, flood projects and housing efforts
Summary
The town supervisor reported upgrades to accounting and IT systems, recovery of town data, purchase of property near Shandaken Inn for possible town-hall relocation outside the floodplain, and a slate of flood mitigation and housing initiatives tied to a draft comprehensive plan.
The town supervisor opened the meeting with a midyear accounting of municipal work and future priorities, saying the administration had updated accounting software, recovered town data after a contractor ceased operations, and improved cybersecurity. "When I came into office, I realized that the town staff had been working for a long time without tools needed to do their jobs," the supervisor said, summarizing recent administrative work.
The supervisor said the town used state funding to conduct legal and environmental reviews and to purchase property on Route 28 near the Shandaken Inn that is "entirely out of the flood plain," part of a broader effort to relocate the town hall. The report listed flood mitigation projects in Phoenicia, Pine Hill, Mount Tremper and other hamlets, and noted that Rob Stanley had been appointed floodplain administrator to coordinate those efforts.
Beyond flood work, the supervisor described local service gaps: "Shandaken is a health care desert, a food desert, and has related public transportation challenges," and said the board is pursuing mobile screening, ambulance stability, and affordable-housing projects including a partnership to develop the former Phoenicia Elementary School. A final draft of the town's comprehensive master plan was posted at the end of July; the board is set to schedule at least three legally required public hearings on the plan in August and September.
The supervisor also warned of budget pressures: rising costs for fuel, insurance and utilities are driving work on the 2027 budget and efforts to manage insurance premiums. The comments framed the administration's near-term priorities as flood mitigation, public-service stabilization and housing policy changes tied to the comp plan.
