Water, Water, Water - Middletown Districts Struggle

MIDDLETOWN - There are three water districts in Middletown - Arkville, Halcottsville, and Margaretville. The town oversees two of them, while Margaretville Village handles its district. The town council discussed much-needed repairs and fee structures at the April 9th board meeting.

After a detailed discussion, the council ultimately approved roughly $26,000 in repairs. The resolution is pending confirmation that enough funds reside in district accounts. Monies will be used for priority one repairs in Arkville for $18,000 and Halcottsville for $8,000. Supervisor Glen Faulkner explained these repairs were identified by the New York State Department of Health and should not be delayed.

In addition to priority one repairs, a new meter reading antenna was purchased for $2,700. The antenna will service the Arkville district.

Margaretville Mayor John Hubbell reported major issues with water district budgets due to inaccurate meter readings.

The Arkville meters are almost 20 years old, he reported, and are becoming obsolete. Installing new meters can cost between 12 and 18 thousand each, not including installation at around $200 per dwelling, he reported. The meters require on-property readings, and often, they are inside the dwelling, making things challenging, said Hubbell. Halcottsville is quick for staff, he reported; it takes a few hours, and most meters are outdoors.

Margaretville is working on funding opportunities to replace its meters, which are estimated at $250,000. Hubbell suggested updating the Arkville meters to the same system as Margaretville to help increase the chances of joining the two districts.

Middletown and Margaretville are working with RCAP (Rural Community Assistance Program) on funding opportunities to connect Arkville and Margaretville districts along Route 28. The project would provide some resiliency to the two districts through additional users, said Faulkner.

Each district is responsible for its operation which is budgeted using fees from both users and non-users. While the town can loan money to a district for emergency repairs, it can not outright pay for items. Halcottsville has around 38 users and Arkville has 103, said Hubbell, "but there are a lot more potential hook-ups."

District residents are charged a quarterly flat rate of $110, while commercial structures are charged over $200. Water used over 5,000 gallons is charged at $6.25 per 1,000 gallons. The council discussed increasing fees that were last adjusted in 2018. The board is considering charging a non-user fee for residences within the district that do not utilize the service.

In another discussion, the council approved reducing fees for the owner of the former Old School Baptist Church of Halcottsville at 33 Halcottsville Road. The owner was previously charged the commercial flat rate of roughly $230 a quarter, though the property is not currently hooked up to water or sewer. Board members agreed to reduce fees to basic rates of $110 quarterly.  

The council entered an executive session to discuss negotiations regarding the Halcottsville Water System. No decisions were made.

In other business

The board approved bid contracts for the Highway Department. Councilmember Nelson Delameater noted his discontent with Morabito as they left town buildings without fuel more than once this past winter. The council will seek answers as to why local suppliers do not bid for these contracts for the next fiscal year.

Following an executive session, the renewal of the contract with Margaretville to share code enforcement services was tabled for 30 days. Code Officer Harim Davis is expected to discuss concerns at the next scheduled workshop on May 7 at 6 p.m.

Gordon Stevens was re-appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a five-year term.

Board members approved a contract with Cherry Fence for lawn mowing and weed whacking of town buildings from May 1 until Oct. 31 for $2,650. The contract includes power washing of the buildings and entrances for an additional $2,500. Costs have increased slightly from last year due to the cost of living, according to the contractor.

Waters Excavating and Logging was awarded the lawn mowing bid for Halcottsville and New Kingston sewer districts for a total of $6,000. The contract includes bush hogging of the New Kingston leach field three times for an additional $900.

The council approved an $8,000 three-year contract with Rave Alert, a notification system. Interested users can look out for sign up information on the town website at middletowndelawarecountyny.org or on Facebook.

The next regular town council meeting is scheduled Wednesday, May 14, at 6 p.m.