January 2025

Welcome to the new Town of Middletown website! I am thrilled to present this updated design and accessibility for the Town related materials. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Website Committee for their hard work and dedication in bringing this valuable resource to life.

The enhancements to the website are the result of months of analysis, comparisons, and public surveys conducted by the Website Committee. Our goal is to provide a user-friendly site that delivers the information that matters most to you. I am excited to use the Supervisor’s Corner of the new website to provide quarterly updates on key initiatives and projects currently underway in our Town. I hope you find these updates informative and helpful.

Below are a few highlights of the accomplishments and initiatives the Town has undertaken over the past year:

• Repair of Town Highway Garage Roof
  The roof has been fully resurfaced with spray insulation and a silicone coating to address leaks and improve heating efficiency. A new gutter system was also installed to prevent ice buildup around the building entrances.

• New Well for the Arkville Water District
  A new test well has been installed as part of a multi-year project to provide a third water source for the Arkville Water District. After final water quality testing is complete, this new well will increase capacity, offer new redundancy options, and reduce the reliance on an existing well which requires higher water treatment costs. In addition, a new water-works maintenance agreement with the Village of Margaretville has leveraged the expertise of a locally-based operations team in contracting the on-going maintenance of both of the Town owned water systems in Halcottsville and Arkville. With this mutually beneficial agreement with the Village, the Town water systems now have dedicated resources available to conduct maintenance on the systems and most importantly establish a preventative maintenance schedule going forward.

• New CSEA Agreement with Highway Department Staff
  A two-year agreement has been unanimously approved with the Town’s Highway Department staff and Town Board. The agreement offers mutually beneficial terms for all parties and works to address staffing needs in the future.

• Transfer Station Committee Updates
  The Transfer Station Committee has been exploring options for long-term upgrades to our aging transfer station facility. Members of the Delaware County Planning Department and Department of Public Works have been an invaluable resource in helping the Committee identify suitable  new locations, explore shared facility opportunities with neighboring communities, consider privatizing garbage pickup, and explore upgrade options to the current site.

• FEMA BRIC Technical Assistance Grant
  The Town was awarded a FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure for Communities (BRIC) Technical Assistance grant, alongside the communities of Owego New York, New York City, Salem County NJ, & US Virgin Islands. This grant focuses on addressing infrastructure resiliency challenges. The BRIC Committee is currently reviewing existing planning and engineering reports to identify specific projects in which the technical expertise from FEMA can be of most assistance including water system resiliency, emergency communications challenges, emergency shelter needs, flooding resiliency needs, and more.

• Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) Grant Submission
  In collaboration with the Villages of Fleischmanns and Margaretville, we have submitted a DRI grant application focused on revitalizing the corridor that connects the Margaretville, Fleischmanns, and Route 28 business communities. Our application has reached the finalist stage (along with the cities of Binghamton and Ithaca) within the Southern Tier Region. Middletown remains in the running for over $10M in matching funding under this initiative. A big thank you to all the community members who attended the outreach events and provided thoughtful input as to amenities and services most needed in our region.

• Healthcare Advocacy
  The Healthcare Advocacy Committee continues to engage with representatives from Westchester Medical Center regarding the expansion of healthcare services at the Margaretville campus. Our goal is to restore essential hospital services reduced over the past few years and to advocate for increased primary care staffing. Margaretville Hospital is a vital community asset and a significant employer, and we are committed to ensuring its continued success and growth.

• Code Enforcement Software Investment
  New software has been implemented for the Code Enforcement office to streamline administrative tasks. This system will also introduce an online building permit application portal for added convenience.

• Cemetery Task Force
  A Cemetery Task Force has been established to review the ongoing maintenance needs of our town-owned cemeteries and to address challenges faced by independent cemetery associations still operational in the town.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the dedicated staff working hard on behalf of our community. From the highway department and transfer station teams to the town office staff, I extend my personal thanks for your tireless efforts in keeping the town running smoothly.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

Warm regards,

Glen Faulkner
Supervisor