RICHMONDVILLE — A much anticipated sewer improvement project in the Town of Richmondville cleared a major hurdle recently when the Town Board voted unanimously to advertise for bids on the project, estimated to cost between $12 million and $16 million.
"Hallelujah, right," said Town Supervisor Jeffrey Haslun after he and Councilmen Eric Haslun, Todd Sperbeck, Harry Rode and George Horning all voted at the Thursday, May 14 meeting to go out to bid on the project that will bring public sewer service to much of the town, most notably Warnerville. Jeffrey Haslun's exclamation was a comment on how long it has taken the town to reach this point on the project that has been in the planning stages for several years.
"Not that it's funny," Haslun quickly added.
"It's ridiculous," noted Horning about the seemingly endless hoops town officials have had to jump through.
The resolution approved by the board authorizes the Town Supervisor, Town Clerk and the Town's consulting engineers to "take all actions necessary to advertise for bids, receive bids and administer the bidding process for said project."
Town Board members are hoping to award bids at the next board meeting on Thursday, June 11, and Jeffrey Haslun said after the May 14 meeting he is hoping construction will start in July.
A related resolution also approved at the May 14 town board meeting "authorizes and approves the standardization of sewer system controls integration services for the Town of Richmondville Sewer District No. 1 utilizing Aqualogics Systems Inc. for the purposes of maintaining compatibility and integration with the Village of Richmondville wastewater system."
Sewage from the new project in the Town will flow into the Village collection system and its treatment plant for treating. The town is paying the village $1 million for collecting and treating the sewage resulting from the improvement project.
In other actions from the May 14 town board meeting, board members voted unanimously on the recommendation of Town Clerk Maggie Smith to hire Samantha Miller as the new cleaner for Town Hall and Town Court.
Smith said Miller works with Town Deputy Clerk Joan Radliff with the Richmondville Volunteer Fire Department Support Services and Radliff spoke highly of Miller. Radliff had been the cleaner before resigning from that position several weeks ago.
Highway Superintendent Brian Manchester reported he and his crew have been doing shoulder and ditch work on various roads, and have also swept some roads.
