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 Citys handling of the Washington Ave. sinkhole problem has been an embarrassment since the beginning. Its experts, despite billing the City over $275,000 (with far higher billings anticipated), have yet to develop a proven plan to fix the sinkhole. This was not a "phased solution," as Champ-Doran claims, it was an incomplete original assessment of the breadth and scope of the damage. We are now $1.88M into the project, 2-1/2 years later, with another $2M to $3.9M in requested spending authority ESTIMATED to complete the work. This is not a suitable plan for Kingston, our proud County Seat, it is a disaster, and it requires the attention of Ulster County Legislators and our County Executive. After relatively minor repairs were made to the shaft (grouting, sawcutting a culvert, 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 repair technologies were evaluated" (last updated 8/12/2012). That was 15 months and 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 and reevaluating the proposed solutions? This is no way to run a sinkhole repair project: it has not been a well-planned nor intentionally phased response - it has been poorly executed, and it has left neighbors in the dark about the status, 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 could start (or restart) as soon as next June. An audible gasp could be heard in the room. Lastly, Champ-Doran's appeal to neighbors and our good Assemblyman Cahill's office misses a critical fact: $1.4 million of Federal environmental funding has already been awarded and spent on the sinkhole. I have every confidence that Assemblyman Cahill would never contemplate abandoning his hometown, as Champ-Doran suggestively warns, but I do wonder about the level of commitment and competence emanating from City Hall. We have no way of knowing whether another $2M or $3.9M requested spending authority" will do the job, since the engineering "second opinion" has not yet been determined, nor the potential project creep of further erosion and damage to the tunnel occurs as so much time passes. A more reasonable, potential source of funding is the Ulster County Transportation

Council, which has $2.4M in unallocated funds for the Mid-Hudson Valley. With over $30M budgeted for transportation in FY2014, Ulster County is flush for tackling emergency projects, such as the Washington Avenue sinkhole. The ultimate solution requires a holistic and hands-on approach to address an ageing and broken infrastructure. This means real planning and commitment, and our full attention to get the job done.
Sincerely, Brad Will Democratic Candidate for 3rd Ward Alderman

Hello, All, Phase 1 of the Sinkhole project is complete. The Washington Avenue tunnel has been repaired and inspected from 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 over the tunnel across the space it is free of bedrock, using the columns to anchor that. I've attached the report on the 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 of a 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's addressed 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 take the time, I would like you to print out the letter, sign it, and send it to the Assemblyman at his local office. His address 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-DORAN
for ALDERMAN WARD 3 845-338-2777

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill Governor Clinton Bldg. Suite G-4 1 Albany Ave Kingston, NY 12401 845-338-9610

October 23, 2013 Dear Assemblyman Cahill,

We are sending this letter as a plea for help. As you know, Kingstons Washington Avenue has a sinkhole that has, for some time, seriously and negatively affected our lives. We have lost use of our streets, normal use of our homes, and all sense of living the normal life we have worked hard to maintain. Our safety and the safety of our homes are at great risk. The effects of the sinkhole threaten the collapse 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 often without notification after the fact. A working utility pole has even been broken by a truck that could 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 at any price. Our assessments and taxes, however, remain high. They are certainly too high for assets 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 the next phase of the project. Soil stabilization and protection of the portion of the Washington Avenue Tunnel that is not in bedrock is projected to cost around $2 million more. We cannot bear these costs alone. We are asking you, Assemblyman Cahill, to exhaust every possibility of funding the remaining costs of this project from New York State coffers. Member items, DEC funds, Department of Transportation 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 lifeline for our community. Abandonment of the Washington Avenue Tunnel would cripple us and bring Kingston to its knees. We are asking for your representation in Albany. We need your help. Do not abandon us now. Sincerely,
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Assemblyman Kevin Cahill Letter 10-23-2013.docx 16K View Download kingston report (1).pdf 10937K View Download

Washington Ave Tunnel Remediation Cost Tracking (1).xls 40K View Open as a Google spreadsheet Download