Denver Water System Upgrade - Cannabis Farm Coming To Roxbury

ROXBURY—On May 12, the Roxbury Town Board held a public hearing to secure a bond of up to $500,000 to make repairs to the Denver Water and Sewer District. The hearing was also informational, during which district organizer Mike Harrington and Attorney Kevin Young explained the project and funding opportunities.

The district, formed in the 1900s, was abandoned in the 1980s and left to the town to take control of. Despite the town's role, district users remain sole beneficiaries and are responsible for all costs. In 1992, the roughly 20-year-old plant required substantial repairs, which the district completed.

When the New York City Department of Environmental Protection became more prominent in the area, working to control water quality, they paid for other replacements in the early 2000s. The Safe Drinking Act of 1986 requires the City to filter its water more thoroughly. The City determined it could avoid an $8 billion project and $800 million annual costs by filtering water at the source rather than at the discharge point. This forced stringent regulations on Watershed communities. The agreement was that DEP would pay for repair and operational costs.

Now, both repaired portions of the Denver system need to be replaced. Harrington suggests combining both filtration systems into one. The newly developed technology, constructed in Japan, is called a Membrane Bioreactor for wastewater (MBR).

The project is estimated to cost between 4.5 and 4.7 million dollars. The town will apply for a municipal grant, which provides 50% of the funds for rural communities. The remaining 50% will be split with the city. Young is requesting DEP pay 60% of the remaining cost, leaving roughly $500,000 on users. The user's portion of the payment will be done over the course of 20 years through a low-interest bond. If the project is approved, users should expect an increase of $291 annually.

One district user and former district board president noted that other users were not adequately informed of the potential project. There are roughly 120 district users.

With grant and bond deadlines approaching, the board agreed to move forward. Supervisor Allen Hinkley assured attendees that the project is still in the initial stages and there are many more steps before construction. Hinkley hopes to organize another public hearing in the future.

Cannabis

Catskill Mountain Cannabis will begin operations in the coming months. The company is an indoor cannabis cultivation facility on the outskirts of town. With a Micro Licence in hand, owners would like to expand to retail. If the business were to sell under their current license, the retail facility must be within 25 miles of the cultivation site. They would like the shop, pre-named Smoke Panda, to be located on the same property as the farm. However, Roxbury opted out of permitting any dispensaries. The owners are requesting that the board explore adjusting legislation on dispensaries. The board listened to a presentation by Lisa Wisely, representing the farm. She went over critical developments in State legislation that require safety and security practices for cannabis shops - cameras, security systems, identification protocols, etc.

Hinkley noted that the town initially opted out due to a lack of regulations, with the notion that they could revisit the issue. However, the council did not discuss the matter further.

In other business

Code Enforcement Officer Hiram Davis resigned effective July 31. The town will seek a replacement officer and hope to share the duties with a neighboring town.

Margaret Ellsworth's resignation from the planning board was accepted. Peter Griffin, Allen Regero, and Eric McLaughlin were all appointed to the planning board.

Renate Rennie resigned from the Community Development Block Grant project review committee. Peter Griffin will fill the vacancy.

The American Red Cross will host a blood drive at town hall on June 4.

The next regularly scheduled town board meeting is on Monday, June 9 at 6 p.m.