Zarbo expressed optimism that with his expertise and the village’s willingness to pursue every avenue of grant funding, major rewards could be available.

He was right.

The Village of Cassadaga was recently awarded a Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) Grant of up to $5 million through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation. Up to 60% of the project’s net costs can be covered through the grant.

Mayor Bill Dorman signed and returned the necessary documents to proceed with the WIIA Grant. The actual amount of funds may be reduced from the $5 million maximum amount if the final costs of the project do not warrant the total amount.

Matt Zarbo, Director of Engineering at E&B Squared, presented plans and funding avenues for a water system capital improvement project at a Cassadaga Village Board meeting last winter. P-J photo by Braden Carmen

Zarbo and his associate, Andrew Meyerhofer, an engineer, believed the WIIA grant was a realistic target for the village. WIIA Grant funding was among the options listed in roughly 45 minutes of a presentation last winter regarding specific funding opportunities for the Village to pursue.

“Grant funding is extremely critical. It’s something that we have definitely excelled in (obtaining) and it’s why we’ve grown in this area,” Zarbo said.

In the months since his presentation, the Board has moved forward in the process at Zarbo’s direction. Zarbo met with Department of Public Works Supervisor Sam Alaimo and toured the Village to conduct a brief analysis of the current water system. A new water source might be required, while several water mains will need to be replaced and many water meters will also need to be replaced. The village is eyeing a multimillion dollar project to update its water lines throughout the Village, many of which have existed for close to 100 years.

The village of Cassadaga must be entered into a Project Finance Agreement or a Grant Agreement regarding the project by Sept. 30, 2026 in order to remain eligible for WIIA funding. Zarbo stated previously that the project in its entirety will likely take between 4-6 years to fully complete.

The village is also hoping to receive grant funding through the NY Forward Grant program for other upgrades throughout the Village. Deputy Clerk Roxanne Astry, Cheryl Beichner, and Nancy Wickmark recently presented to the WNY Regional Economic Development Council in Buffalo. Astry stated the panel called their presentation one of the best they had seen.

The NY Forward program targets smaller, rural communities to support revitalization projects. This year, $100 million is available statewide, as each of the 10 Regional Economic Development Councils will recommend two communities for $4.5 million NY Forward awards. Coupled with the State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the two State programs focused on downtown revitalization and economic development will award $200 million this year, bringing the total amount of funds awarded through the two programs since 2016 to $1.2 billion.

The Village of Cassadaga Fire Department also recently received a State Fire Equipment Grant in the amount of $43,816. Coupled with other recent awards, the Fire Department has received over $222,000 in grant funding in the past year. The Department has also applied for a grant through the Department of Environmental Conservation and also plans to apply for more grant funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).