Pros And Cons Of A Water Tower
By Doug La Rocque
Having been awarded a New York State grant for 60% of the $2.25 million cost to build a water tower to serve Water District 1, Berlin Supervisor Rob Jaeger opened the Thursday, December 13 meeting. He noted the contracts have been signed with Cedarwood Engineering to begin the preliminaries of construction. The town board is, however, still asking Tom Suozzo of Cedarwood to look into less expense options. Board member Tara Fisher said “I don’t feel due diligence has been done, unless we look into alternatives.” Mr. Suozzo agreed, but also warned the NYS Department of Health (DOH) is strongly behind the water tower, for many reasons, that include potability of the water and storage capacities. In fact, he warned they could not cut out the storage provisions laid out by DOH, without jeopardizing the grant entirely.
Mr. Suozzo brought up the fact that he thinks some of the cost of a water tower, could be offset by the savings it would generate, particularly in electrical and maintenance at the pump station. He noted the district is currently pumping about 230,000 gallons of water a day, while its estimated usage is around 30,000 gallons. The rest is sent to the unusable reservoir. He states once a tower is filled, the pumps could be shut down, and only run when the tower level drops down, or in case of a fire. Thus creating energy savings and less wear and tear on the machinery. He also stated boosters could be installed to help with water pressure for users currently above the reservoir in elevation.
Approving a Solar Facility
The board voted to enter into an agreement with Monolith Solar, allowing them to construct a commercial solar facility on town owned land off Airport Road, behind the Municipal Complex. Under the terms of the agreement, Monolith would provide energy for town use, with the exception of street lighting. They estimate the savings to Berlin to be about $18,000 annually.
Board member Steve Riccardi asked that the motion be tabled at the November meeting so he could look into other possible providers. He stated at the December meeting, he was not able to turn up any other viable options, but still expressed strong concerns about the stability and financial future of Monolith. He was the only member of the board to vote against the resolution.
Take Care This Heating Season
Codes Enforcement Officer (CEO) Alan Yerton asked all residents to be especially careful with the onset of cold weather. He urged that everyone keep their heating systems clean and well functioning. Mr. Yerton also asked that all residences have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in place, just in case of a heating system malfunction. He further warned against using a torch to thaw out frozen pipes, recommending a hair dryer instead.
The CEO noted commercial development in the town is on the rise, citing a building permit that has been issued for a storage facility on NY Route 22, across from the new Stewart’s Store. He also urged the board to consider opening up more commercial zones.
Town Clerk Anne Maxon’s office had a good month for revenue, turning over $6,591 in state, county and local receipts, and $2,685 in non-local monies.
It was announced as well, that the Town’s transfer station would be closed on Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24.