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Brad Will 2:33 PM (29 minutes ago)

to me

The following is my response to Andrew Champ-Doran's letter, and the City's handing of the Washington Ave.sinkhole:

On the face of it and given the timing, Champ-Doran's ploy is purely political.But much worse is that Champ-Doran's assertions are wrong. The Cityshandling of the Washington Ave. sinkhole problem has been anembarrassment since the beginning. Its experts, despite billing the City over$275,000 (with far higher billings anticipated), have yet to develop a provenplan to fix the sinkhole. This was not a "phased solution," as Champ-Doranclaims, it was an incomplete original assessment of the breadth and scope ofthe damage. We are now $1.88M into the project, 2-1/2 years later, withanother $2M to $3.9M in requested spending authority ESTIMATED to

complete the work. This is not a suitable plan for Kingston, our proud CountySeat, it is a disaster, and it requires the attention of Ulster County Legislatorsand our County Executive.After relatively minor repairs were made to the shaft (grouting, sawcutting aculvert, etc.), it took over a year to initiate substantial repairs to the tunnel,once it was found to have serious leaks and a compromised structure.According to the Mayor's notes, in June-July 2012 "Tunnel repairtechnologies were evaluated" (last updated 8/12/2012). That was 15 monthsand another $200,000 in engineering fees ago, and the evaluation continues,with another $15,000 engineering bill for "a second opinion" now before us.Has the Mayor or Champ-Doran inquired as to how much the multiple

engineering firms studying the sinkhole stand to gain by evaluating andreevaluating the proposed solutions? This is no way to run a sinkhole repairproject: it has not been a well-planned nor intentionally phased response - ithas been poorly executed, and it has left neighbors in the dark about thestatus, with no end in sight. Just last Monday night at 80 Washington Ave.,the Mayor informed the group of 30 or so residents that construction couldstart (or restart) as soon as next June. An audible gasp could be heard in theroom.Lastly, Champ-Doran's appeal to neighbors and our good AssemblymanCahill's office misses a critical fact: $1.4 million of Federal environmentalfunding has already been awarded and spent on the sinkhole. I have every

confidence that Assemblyman Cahill would never contemplate abandoninghis hometown, as Champ-Doran suggestively warns, but I do wonder aboutthe level of commitment and competence emanating from City Hall.

We have no way of knowing whether another $2M or $3.9M requestedspending authority" will do the job, since the engineering "second opinion"has not yet been determined, nor the potential project creep of furthererosion and damage to the tunnel occurs as so much time passes. A morereasonable, potential source of funding is the Ulster County Transportation

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Council, which has $2.4M in unallocated funds for the Mid-Hudson Valley.With over $30M budgeted for transportation in FY2014, Ulster County isflush for tackling emergency projects, such as the Washington Avenuesinkhole. The ultimate solution requires a holistic and hands-on approach toaddress an ageing and broken infrastructure. This means real planning and

commitment, and our full attention to get the job done.Sincerely,Brad WillDemocratic Candidate for 3rd Ward Alderman

Hello, All,

Phase 1 of the Sinkhole project is complete. The Washington Avenue tunnel has been repaired and inspectedfrom Gilead to Lucas Avenue, the separation of the sewage and storm water portions of the tunnel is complete.The next phase is soil stabilization and protection of the tunnel across the 145 feet or so that is not in bedrock.The plan is to vibrate the soil to compact it to a more stable state, and use a concrete/grout/soil slurry to form

columns that anchor to bedrock along either side of the tunnel. They will then build an arch of the same overthe tunnel across the space it is free of bedrock, using the columns to anchor that. I've attached the report onthe tunnel and environs below, as well as the Engineer's Office report of expenses to this point.

The process is expected to go through most of 2014, and cost an additional $2 million. We will have a heck ofa time trying to pay for it, and here is where you can help. I have written a letter I would like you to read. It'saddressed to our Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, asking for help in finding funding to cover the remaining costs.As an important member of the Ways and Means Committee, he might well be able to help. If you can takethe time, I would like you to print out the letter, sign it, and send it to the Assemblyman at his local office. Hisaddress is at the top of the letter.

The letter is below, and attached. If we work together, we take positive action.

As always, I invite you to contact me at any time for any reason. My home number is listed here.

Thank you,Andrew

CHAMP-DORANfor ALDERMAN WARD 3 845-338-2777

Assemblyman Kevin CahillGovernor Clinton Bldg. Suite G-41 Albany AveKingston, NY 12401845-338-9610

October 23, 2013Dear Assemblyman Cahill,

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We are sending this letter as a plea for help. As you know, Kingstons Washington Avenue has asinkhole that has, for some time, seriously and negatively affected our lives. We have lost use ofour streets, normal use of our homes, and all sense of living the normal life we have workedhard to maintain.

Our safety and the safety of our homes are at great risk. The effects of the sinkhole threaten thecollapse of our sewers, drains, and even the homes and businesses nearest our ground zero.Homes have been evacuated and/or left useless for days at a time as a result of failed utilities,foundation cracks, flooding, sewer gasses, and a host of other problems.For those of us a little further away, traffic and commerce have been re-routed. Traffic flow,speed, and volume are diverted to streets that are ill-equipped to handle the increased need.Accidents are now the norm. Peoples vehicles and property have been damaged, and oftenwithout notification after the fact. A working utility pole has even been broken by a truck thatcould not make the directed turn, and residents have been without utilities for hours at a time.That pole is still broken, and perched precariously over the home and business nearby. This is a

threat to the lives of residents, customers, and passersby.Our home values have continued to plummet, in some cases to the point of impossible to sell atany price. Our assessments and taxes, however, remain high. They are certainly too high forassets worth next to nothing on the open market.All of this has been going on for two years. Now, after Kingston has made repairs,improvements, and emergency fixes at a cost of $3.85 million, we find ourselves ready for thenext phase of the project. Soil stabilization and protection of the portion of the WashingtonAvenue Tunnel that is not in bedrock is projected to cost around $2 million more. We cannotbear these costs alone.We are asking you, Assemblyman Cahill, to exhaust every possibility of funding the remainingcosts of this project from New York State coffers. Member items, DEC funds, Department ofTransportation budgets, and any other source that you can think of must be considered.This street connects State and Interstate roads. It serves local, area, and interstate commerce.The tunnel is the storm and sewer mainline for 1/3 of the City of Kingston. It is a vital lifelinefor our community.Abandonment of the Washington Avenue Tunnel would cripple us and bring Kingston to itsknees. We are asking for your representation in Albany. We need your help. Do not abandon usnow.Sincerely,3 attachments Download all attachments

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill Letter 10-23-2013.docx16K View Downloadkingston report (1).pdf10937K View Download

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Washington Ave Tunnel Remediation Cost Tracking (1).xls40K View Open as a Google spreadsheet Download

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