Bethlehem’s water works were the talk of the town during the last board meeting.
The town unanimously amended its stormwater local law, accepted maps and reports for a proposed Elm Avenue East Water District extension, approved starting a master planning study at the Dinmore Road Waste Water Treatment Plant, and also discussed three pump station renovations.
Supervisor Jack Cunningham said the water district extension is for a proposed development by Amedore Homes called the Elm Avenue East.
There’s a development down there and the proposal is going to need to have water and sewer and be included in the water district in order to be taxed, Cunningham said.
Amedore Homes is owned by Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam.
Cunningham said the new storm water amendments deal with new regulations that calls for all runoff associated with a building project to be contained.
`With the stormwater law, they have to keep all the runoff on the site,` he said. `That’s why we have to have a storm water district.`
According to the regulations, all construction projects have to have small retention ponds and other types of storm water catch basins on site. Cunningham said it applies to all projects in town with the exception of single-family home construction.
Bethlehem is a member of the Albany County Storm Water Management Coalition, a group of county municipalities that are attempting to share services in terms of stormwater issues such as permit requirements, storm water management and environmental reviews.
The town pays $14,000 to participate in the group.
The board voted to pay $85,000 from the Sewer Fund Capital Reserve Fund to support the first phase of a master planning study at the town’s Selkirk water plant. The supervisor said the town is looking at its infrastructure and taking a proactive approach.
Erik Deyoe, the town’s engineer, gave a report to the board outlining what the study will be looking at. He said its purpose is to evaluate the pumps and motors of the plant, look at the structure itself and its tanks, as well as `long-term growth projections.`
`It’s [the study money] not an inappropriate amount of money to spend on a plant that could cost between $10 [million] and $20 million.`
When asked if the project could be done in house, Deyoe said it would be an unreasonable cost to Bethlehem if the town had to retain a number of specialized engineers and technicians that would only be used once in a while.
`It’s in the town’s interest to hire out,` said Deyoe.
`We’re better suited to manage projects, not do specialty work.`
The study is a part of two-phase project.
Cunningham announced at the end of the meeting that the town has brought three of 10 pump stations slated for renovation are now `on line.` “