Flood-ravaged towns across the Catskills are taking stock of damage to businesses, in order to take advantage of the Catskill Watershed Corporations recent allocation of $5 million for the rebuilding of businesses within the New York City watershed.
At the town of Hunter's regular board meeting on Tuesday, September 20, the town board voted to approve a resolution to file for Hunter's share of the $5 million set aside by the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) for grants to flood-damaged businesses in the region, the Windham Journal reports.
Greene County Mountaintop town supervisors and village mayors recently voted to divide up their share of the $5 million -- which amounted to $931,500 -- between the towns with the worst flood damage. The town of Hunter and its two villages, Hunter and Tannersville, have a $90,000 allocation. The town of Hunter must now provide the CWC with a list of businesses that have been damaged, and the amounts needed for repair, up to $30,000 per business.
Since the CWC voted to set aside $5 million for the grant program, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has contributed an additional $1 million to the fund. The CWC board has not yet voted on how it should be spent.
From a story in this week's Windham Journal:
“This is for structural and construction repairs only,” said [Hunter supervisor Dennis] Lucas, “not for replacement of inventory or loss of property,” also noting that any business must, however, be within the boundaries of the NYC watershed to be eligible.
An earlier story in the Daily Mail reported that Greene County's Department of Economic Development has also set aside $300,000 for five year no-interest loans of up to $20,000 each, with 6 month delay on first payment, and Greene County's Industrial Development Agency has also set aside $100,000 for assistance.
Below: A breakdown of Greene County's share of the CWC's $5 million grant program by town.
