Erie County is still trying to issue refunds for all those campers who had to cancel their plans because of COVID-19.
They're so busy paying out these refunds, it's putting the 2021 camping season on the back burner.
ERIE COUNTY IS STILLSTRUGGLING TO ISSUEREFUNDS FOR ALLTHOSE CAMPERS WHOCANCELLED THEIRPLANS BECAUSE OFCOVID-19.AND AS TAYLOR EPPSEXPLAINS..THECOUNTY IS SO BUSYPAYING OUT THOREFUNDS..
IT'SPUTTING THE 2021CAMPING SEASON ONTHE BACK BURNER.IT'S BEEN AFRUSTRATINGSUMMER SEASON FORCAMPERS IN ERIECOUNTY.BACK IN MAY, 7EYEWITNESS NEWSBROUGHT YOU THESTORIES OFSEASONAL R-VCAMPERS WHOCOULDN'T ACCESSTHEIR HOMES..PHONER FROM MAY"I'VE GOT A DISABLEDVETERAN IN FLORIDARIGHT NOW LIVING IN AVAN WITH HIS DOGBECAUSE HE CAN'T GETIN."OTHER CAMPERS HADTHEIR SUMMER PLANSCANCELLED..JAMES "SINCE THEPANDEMIC STARTEDWE'VE HAD TO CANCELA LOT OF PEOPLE'SPLANS, WE'VE HAD TOREFUND A LOT OFPEOPLE, THE PROCESSIS A LONG PROCESS."JAMES MCDONALD ISTHE DEPUTYCOMMISSIONER OFRECREATION FOR ERIECOUNTY.
HE SAYS THISMASSIVE REFUNDPROCESS HAS BEENDIFFICULT TO MANAGE.MCDONALD "OUROFFICE STAFF, IT'S NOTSOMETHING WE'REUSED TO DOING.
IN AREGULAR TIME WENORMALLY DON'TOFFER REFUNDS.
FORTHIS IS IT WAS LIKEEVERY SINGLE REFUNDWAS DONE FOR EVERYSINGLE RESERVATION."IN FACT MCDONALDSAYS THE COUNTY ISSO BUSY HANDLINGREFUNDS FOR THISYEAR THAT IT'SALREADY PUTTING AHOLD ONRESERVATIONS FORNEXT YEAR ATSPRAGUE BROOKPARK.MCDONALD "INSTEADOF GIVING EVERYONE AFALSE SENSE OF HOPEWHERE THEY HAVETHESE THINGSPLANNED FOR LATERTHIS YEAR AND ALSOBECAUSE WE DON'TKNOW WHAT THESTART OF NEXT YEARIS GONNA LOOK LIKE,SO WE DECIDED TOPUSH THAT OUT."BUT THE HOLD ONRESERVATIONS..
ISTEMPORARY.MCDONALD "WE'REHOPING BY THE END OFTHIS YEAR WE CANOPEN THINGS BACK UPFOR NEXT YEAR, BUTWE HAVE NO DATE SETIN STONE BECAUSE WEDON'T KNOW WHATTODAY, TOMORROW ORTHE NEXT DAY ISGONNA LOOK LIKE."ANYONE STILLWAITING ON REFUNDS- MCDONALD SAYS -SHOULD GET THEIRMONEY BACK IN THENEXT MONTH OR TWO.IN THE MEANTIME, HEENCOURAGESCAMPERS TO SOAK UPSPRAGUE BROOK THISYEAR BEFORE THESUN SETS ON THISMOST UNUSUAL OFSUMMERS..IN BUFFALO, TEPPS,7EWN.SPRAGUE BROOK THISYEAR BEFORE THESUN SETS ON THISMOST UNUSUAL OFSUMMERS..
Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization calls for virtual learning at the start of the school year.
