POSTED: November 25, 2009
FORESTVILLE — Water rates will increase in the village beginning Dec. 1 for a six-month period, which Forestville Mayor Richard Yeager said is long overdue.
“Our water rates have been very, very low for years — there was not enough money generated to expand this system and make it better,” Yeager said. “We were just surviving. Now we have to increase it and play, what I call, ‘catch-up.’”
The reason for the rate increase, he explained, was in order to begin repayment of the $3.7 million loan from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, which is a 30-year interest-free loan.
Yeager announced the designated rates shall be applied for water consumed from the water system of Forestville, payable in advance between Dec. 1 and 31 (see fact box for listing of rates). If water bills at the following rates are not paid by Dec. 31, 10 percent will be added as a penalty for the first month of nonpayment and 15 percent for each month thereafter.
The rates will be changed again in June 2010. Yeager said the village has been advised to increase water rates since 1996.
The board will meet at 10 a.m. on Dec. 9 for further discussion of village water.
In other matters:
¯ The following fire protection contracts were authorized by the board, between the village and the following communities, commencing Jan. 1, 2010 and ending Dec. 31, 2012: the South Dayton fire district — $5,333 for 2010, $5,600 for 2011 and $5,936 for 2012; the town of Arkwright — $23,066 for 2010, $24,220 for 2011 and $25,431 for 2012; the town of Hanover for District 1 — $28,292 for 2010, $29,707 for 2011 and $31,192 for 2012; the town of Hanover for District 2 — $24,511 for 2010, $25,737 for 2011 and $27,024 for 2012.
¯ At a special meeting held Nov. 6 for the opening of bids on the village’s new fire truck, the village awarded it to Fouts Bros. Fire Equipment of Hamburg for their bid of $224,945 with a $5,000 trade-in for the 1976 Engine 132; the transaction was handled by William Shoemaker Associates, Inc.
¯ The senior citizen exemption for real property tax was increased from $15,000 to $18,000, effective immediately; the eligible Cold War veterans 15 percent exemption, not to exceed a basic state maximum of $12,000 or the product of $12,000 multiplied by the state equalization rate, was approved.
¯ Jennifer Kohler of the Recreation Department reported Santa’s visit to the Forestville Village Hall would take place Dec. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m., with free wagon rides, cookies, cocoa and coffee. She told the board the department wanted to do a new backdrop for the photos with Santa and showed them photos of sketches illustrating her idea.
“We don’t want to step on anybody’s toes,” Kohler said. “With doing the free pictures, it takes a lot of ink to do all that red (on the backdrop) and we would like to see it broke up a little bit, maybe with some other colors, so that we’re not wasted on this ink on all red.”
Kohler requested funds from the board for the event, including a $150 fee for Santa’s appearance, $250 to Doug Fairbanks for the wagon rides, and asked to be reimbursed for ink and paper. She said the department is seeking donations of cocoa. Cookies will be donated by Petri’s Bakery. The board agreed to move forward with Kohler’s proposed plan.
¯ Jeanne Polisoto, with support from Joyce Lineman, again voiced her opposition of the village’s decision to remove a tree from her property without her permission. Polisoto engaged in a heated exchange with the board about the tree, which she said was removed in August under the direction of Streets Department Foreman William Bentzoni. She claimed the tree was in good health and 150 years old, which made it part of the village’s heritage.
“My position on the tree has to do with accountability,” Polisoto said. “I want to know (for) what reason did you take that tree off of my property? And if there was no sound reason in some kind of way to justify that cutting of that tree, that is what I consider stealing.”
Yeager responded the tree was on “village right of way” and the tree was a “bad tree.”
Polisoto said the entire trunk of the tree was removed from her property after it was cut down and demanded to know where the tree’s remains were taken to. Yeager said he was not sure where but thought it might have been transported to the village dump, and reminded Polisoto that her allotted speaking time for public comments had expired. Polisoto believes Bentzoni should be held accountable for the tree.
Comments on this story may be sent to
adiodato@observertoday.com
Facebook
MySpace
Digg
Stumble
Mixx
Fark
del.icio.us
LiveSpaces