Richmondville to Hold April 3 Sewer Project Public Hearing

RICHMONDVILLE — Town of Richmondville Supervisor Jeffrey Haslun and fellow board members still hope a multimillion dollar sewer improvement project can kick off fairly soon despite a recent glitch in the process.

At its Thursday, March 13 meeting, the board approved a resolution setting a public hearing on the project for 6 p.m. April 3 at the town municipal building, 104 Municipal Lane, just off Podpadic Road.

The purpose of the hearing is to "hear all persons interested in the proposed increase in the maximum amount authorized to be expended for the project" from $12 million up to $16 million.

Haslun said it's the fervent hope of he and other board members that the project does not reach a $16 million cost, but that the resolution was required to reflect a 30 percent contingency _ or cushion _ in the project that village officials were advised was needed.

The town supervisor added that the resolution approved last Thursday is essentially the same as a resolution from May of last year but it turned out that one had a technical deficiency.

"We were advised the  one from last May was in the wrong format," Haslun said. "Next to nothing has changed but bond counsel used the wrong format. We're disappointed because we were hoping to bid in April and start construction in June and this will delay things and probably kick it out another 30 days."

The hope is that all or most of the project can be funded with federal and state grants the town has already been awarded, he added. The project will provide public sewer service to a large part of the town, including most of Warnerville, and it's hoped that will spark more development and bolster the tax rolls, among other positives.

According to the resolution approved last Thursday: "On August 23, 2022 the town board authorized the establishment of the Town of Richmondville Sewer District No. 1 and the acquisition, construction and installation of improvements to the District, including but not limited to the construction of 15,000 linear feet of collection sewer piping in addition to the replacement or rehabilitation of sewer mains, manholes, pump stations and other facilities, and the acquisition of machinery, equipment or apparatus received in connection therewith."

The latest resolution adds that the "proposed method of financing the costs of the project consists of receipt of federal and New York State grants for approximately 89 percent of the cost of the project and the issuance of town serial bonds and bond anticipation notes for remaining costs.....The estimated maximum cost of the District to a typical property therein is now expected to equal $653.80 per year."

In other news from the March 13 board meeting, James Becker appeared to tell board members that Schoharie County is considering three locations within the county for some infrastructure needed for the ongoing $33.6 million broadband project aimed at providing every county resident with Internet access.

One of the locations being considered is somewhere on the property of the Town of Richmondville municipal building and Highway Department on Municipal Lane, just off Podpadic Road, said Haslun. He added that town officials are agreeable if the county decides to choose Richmondville. There would be a lease, but Haslun noted that, speaking for himself, he would only favor charging the county $1 a year or some other nominal amount that would be the minimum requirement of such leases.

Schoharie County will own the new broadband network for 10 years after it's finished. The infrastructure discussed at last Thursday's meeting would consist of a small building roughly 10 by 12 or 14 feet on a concrete pad, and related amenities, Haslun said.

The county Board of Supervisors — of which Haslun is a member —0will consider three resolutions connected to the broadband project at its meeting this Friday morning, March 21.