A multi-municipality debate is on regarding the town of Ballston’s two contracts to purchase water from Glenville and the Saratoga County Water System.
In a Spotlight Newspaper’s breaking story on Nov. 1, town of Glenville Supervisor Frank Quinn reiterated his firm intention to hold Glenville’s largest water customer to the contract as written. Quinn said upgrades of about $2.5 million were done a few years ago to accommodate Ballston’s future needs, and those costs will need to be recouped by sales to the neighboring town until 2022.
The town of Glenville and other town water users aren’t going to suck up those improvement costs because the Ballston board didn’t do their homework, said Quinn.
The town of Charlton is a smaller customer of the Glenville water system, contracted until 2020 for about 34 million gallons per year.
Town Supervisor Alan Grattidge said Charlton has a good working relationship with its water supplier.
`We’ve been very satisfied with our water system as it is,` said Grattidge. `We have a very good relationship with the town (of Glenville) and look forward to working with them in years to come.`
Grattidge expressed his dismay about the predicament the towns of Glenville and Ballston now face in dealing with the no-release clause.
`It’s unfortunate Ballston is in a position like this, and I don’t disagree with them looking at the county system,` said Grattidge. `But Glenville has provided water to Ballston and to our town for 40 years, and they feel Ballston is turning their back on them. Ultimately, you live and die by your contracts.`
Grattidge stressed, however, that he has been a proponent of the county water system since its inception.
`I don’t have any animosity about Ballston buying water from the county; I think it’s good for the county as a whole,` said Grattidge. `We’re not a candidate for getting on the system because it would be a huge expense and cut into agricultural land we’re working to preserve.`
The Glenville water system is also a back-up provider for the towns of Rexford and Clifton Park. These contracts end in 2009 and are currently under negotiations.
Town of Clifton Park supervisor Phil Barrett said his town is set for providing their own water independently.
`We’ve had a good quantity of water, although in the next 10 years or so we may need an additional source,` said Barrett. `As far as our contract with Glenville, they’ll need a competitive offer as far as price.`
Barrett referred other questions to Clifton Park Water Authority (CPWA) Chairman Helmut Gerstenberger.
Clifton Park is contracted with Glenville to buy a minimum of 4 million gallons per year to maintain its transmission lines and prevent stagnant water. Clifton Park has the option of buying up to 750,000 gallons a day from Glenville in case of emergency.
`Municipalities such as ours always look for redundant water sources, and we also have the town of Halfmoon right now that can provide us with water in an emergency,` said Gerstenberger.
Gerstenberger said he has been talking with town attorneys for several days about how the Ballston contract could affect Clifton Park, and is glad his town’s water supply is ample.
`We still have enough water in our system; we use 3 million gallons a day, and at the highest, double that a day during peak summer months,` said Gerstenberger.
Gerstenberger was vocal about Clifton Park’s decision not to sign onto the county water plan. In 2005, the Clifton Park Water Authority was the first municipality to forward a letter of intent to the county to pay $1.90 per 1,000 gallons at a fixed rate until the year 2015. Gerstenberger said talks broke down and an agreement was never reached.
`The county never formally accepted our offer, and for a year we went back and forth until June 2006, when we walked away,` said Gerstenberger. `They were looking for $2.05 per 1,000 gallons with no guarantee of a fixed rate. The CPWA determined that was much too risky, and from our standpoint, our Glenville and Halfmoon contracts were more than adequate.`
Alec Mackey, president of the privately owned Saratoga Water Services, has been a longtime protestor of the county water system. Mackey said he was not surprised to learn of a contractual problem that could affect the county system in a negative way.
`Since 1990, the county has been trying to justify that system, and it’s appalling how officials have ramrodded it down taxpayers’ backs,` said Mackey. `I guarantee the costs for this system will come from the towns’ general funds; it won’t just be water customers who pay for this horrendously expensive system once it falls apart.`
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