Possible Savings On The Water Tower
By Doug La Rocque
At its December meeting, the Berlin Town Board asked Tom Suozzo of Cederwood Engineering, the company the town contracted with to design and oversee the construction of a water tower for the Village Water District, to look into alternatives for the $2.25 million project. At its meeting on Thursday, January 10, Mr. Suozzo came back with that alternative, and some ways to possibly reduce the cost of the water tower project itself. He told Board members they could construct a concrete reservoir, with a covering that would protect it from invasion by small rodents and other forms of wildlife. That could reduce the cost by approximately $163,000, but the design and construction would have to meet with the approval of the NYS Department of Health (DOH), and that by no means was a certainty.
Mr. Suozzo had some better news for the Board. He said he had just completed the construction of a new water tower in the Delaware County Town of Stamford, that met all of DOH’s requirements, and at a cost significantly lower than what he had first estimated. He promised the Board he would be in further contact with them about using that firm for the Berlin project.
The Berlin Water District is seeking to borrow $1 million to pay for its 40 percent share of the water tower. The rest is covered by a $1.25 million grant from DOH. Right now, they are looking at a 3 percent interest rate over a 30-year term. Because the District residents did not return the required 84 percent of an income survey, the district failed to qualify for a zero percent loan. As it stands now, the District’s water users would be looking at an additional $278 a year on average, on top of their regular water bills, to pay back the loan. Mr. Suozzo reported DOH is willing to give them a second chance to make up the 30 percent shortfall for a lower interest rate, though not at zero percent. The Board indicated they would again send out the surveys, which are completely anonymous, in hopes of reducing that $278 a year number.
As to Water District #1, Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger reported residents in the district seemed pleased with the services provided by Wel-Dun this past summer, and the town has agreed to have them continue for another year.
Dog Tales
Dog Control Officer (DCO) Doug Goodermote is well known for making a routine report sound like a yarn from a creative storyteller. This meeting was no exception. Mr. Goodermote recounted a recent 12:30 am call from Public Safety, asking him to come to an animal hospital in Latham to pick up a dog, found wandering on a Town road by a good Samaritan.
The person brought the animal to the hospital, apparently hoping the dog might be micro-chipped for identification of its owner. There was no chip, but Mr. Goodermote said he was not traveling to Latham in the wee hours of the morning. He said he agreed to take the dog, if the finder would bring the animal back to Berlin. They made arrangements to meet at the High School parking lot. When nearly an hour had past since the agreed meeting time, with no sign of the dog, Mr. Goodermote went home. According to the DCO, after all this, he has a new policy. Between 10 pm and 5 am, the door is closed.
Organizational Meeting
Prior to the regular meeting, the Board held its annual re-organizational session. According to Supervisor Jaeger, all current officers were re-appointed, with the exception of the Youth Commissioner. That position remains open for now.
Departmental Reports
• Highway Superintendent Jim Winn said these recent nuisance type storms have forced him to go through a lot of sand and salt, but his department remains prepared for whatever else Mother Nature has planned.
• The Taconic Valley Historical Society is now defunct, because of a lack of members and officers.
• Supervisor Jaeger has agreed to represent the town on the Rensselaer County Hazard Mitigation Committee.
• The Board agreed to table until its workshop session, setting rates for Water District #2 commercial properties.
• Town Clerk Anne Maxon reported $4,739 in local, county and state revenues for the month of December, and $1,220 in non-local monies.