By Doug La Rocque
Despite repeated pleas by public officials in both Berlin and Petersburgh for the residents of the Water Districts in those towns to complete and return anonymous income surveys, or lose the possibility of a zero percent interest rate on loans needed to cover a portion of their specific projects, it appears neither town is going to meet the required 84 percent participation rate.
In Berlin, they will be requesting a grant from the Department of Health that will cover 60 percent of the more than two million dollar project to build a mandated water tower and install meters on the homes and businesses in Water District # 2. In Petersburgh, they are requesting a grant to cover 60 percent of the 1.239 million dollar cost for repairs and upgrades to the water district. Both municipalities had hoped to reach the requirement of 84 percent participation in the surveys, to avoid paying three percent interest on a 30-year loan from the Environment Facilities Corporation to cover the remaining 40 percent of the projects.
Both Berlin Supervisor Rob Jaeger and Petersburgh Supervisor Alan Webster plan to move forward with the filing of required documents for the grants and loans, in each case due in the State’s hands by Friday, September 7. The repayment on the loan portion of the projects will now however, be noticeably higher than if the District had qualified for the zero percent interest rate.
In Petersburgh’s case, some of that needed loan, may be reduced by monies that have already been paid toward the upgrades and repairs by Taconic Plastics. How much of that will be credited to the loan remains to be determined.