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Sewer Usage Fee Increases Considered at Cold Spring Village Board Workshop
Money could help to offset long-term term expenses
by Kevin Foley
Cold Spring residents will pay more for their water and sewer services if a plan that already has the tacit support of the Village Board of Trustees comes to fruition. The cost increase as discussed at the Board's weekly workshop on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 would introduce a new usage charge of $1.50 per one thousand gallons of water used based on 75% of the water that flows through the water meter.
The plan is the proposal of Greg Phillips, the village Superintendent of Water and Sewer Services who told the trustees more money was needed to maintain services and to begin to address both short and long term repair requirements for the entire water infrastructure, especially its disposal system, including the water treatment plant.
"We need to spend more money. We want to be able to schedule proper maintenance to better avoid having to choose between issues or be at risk of larger problems," Phillips told the trustees. "The system is over a hundred years old and is subject to all sorts of problems," he said.
The fee increase, if officially approved after a public hearing, would come after the 2006 increase in the flat fee for residential sewer services from $50.30 to $60.30. Residents also currently pay $3.05 per thousand gallons of water as it is delivered. The new fee would be based on only the estimated amount of water that actually uses the sewer system, accounting for water that is used for things like lawn watering and car washing during warmer months and therefore doesn't go down the system drains.
Trustee Karen Dunn said she saw the proposal as part of an effort to divide the water issue into three parts, operating expenses, renovation of the system and some money for a contingency fund for "things we can't even think might happen."
Greg Phillips agreed with this assessment, emphasizing the repair of ageing sewer pipes, the replacement of inflow valves on manhole covers and the need for new motors at the water treatment plant. He also pointed out that the state Department of Environmental Conservation requires various tests to be conducted at the water treatment plant and throughout the sewer system. "After we do those tests, they will expect us to correct any conditions we discover," said Phillips.
Generally the trustees were appreciative of Phillips' argument and proposal. "It's a kind of luxury tax, if you use a lot of water then you have to pay more," said Trustee John Teagle.
Trustee Edward Mancari, chairing the meeting for an absent Mayor Anthony Phillips, polled his colleagues and all agreed to support the proposal.
The trustees agreed further work was needed to determine how much money was already available for contingencies and how much of the new revenue, estimated at approximately $72,000, would go toward operating expenses and immediate repairs as opposed to a contingency fund. Phillips suggested at least half of the money would be needed immediately.
Phillips also reminded the trustees of the problem with greasy sludge in the sewer system. He said he wanted to create a separate line in the budget for this issue to highlight the expense to the village. He reiterated a previous proposal that restaurants and other commercial establishments that utilize grease traps in their business be required to produce quarterly reports on proper maintenance and cleaning. There would also be much stiffer fines for non-compliance. "There is not enough personnel in the village or the county for regular inspection, I want to put the onus on the businesses," he said.
In other business, the trustees agreed that other village officials, especially the Buildings Department, needed to organize their proposals for changes in either fees or regulations in the same succinct manner Phillips had. "This is all part of trying to instill fiscal discipline," said Seth Gallagher. The trustees also discussed the possibility of holding multiple public hearings on various code and fee changes on the same day to expedite their introduction and their impact on the new budget year.
After an approximately one- hour meeting the trustees went into executive session to discuss village personnel matters.
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