Southworth: Time had come to compromise
The Ballston water saga is one step closer to a conclusion after Supervisor Patti Southworth and several members of the town board sat down with the IDA to discuss the possibility of funding for the water pump station on Tuesday, March 16.
According to Southworth, the IDA agreed to contribute about $75,000 worth of engineering costs for the pump, to be paid upon completion. The IDA will vote on Monday, April 12, on whether to officially supply funding.
The entire construction cost for the pump station is about $586,000.
Southworth and board member Jeremy Knight had voted against bonding the pump station at a February board meeting because they felt it unwise not to have the money in the bank to pay for it. Southworth said she finally decided to go forward with bonding because it was time to compromise and find a solution.
It’s not the perfect answer, but it is a compromise solution to the problem. I think in all situations, you have to understand there must be compromises along the way. Since the majority of the board voted to go through with bonding the pump, even without funds in the bank, we had to find the best compromise we could to make it happen, said Southworth. `Obviously it wasn’t what [Knight] and I had wanted to do, but they voted to go forward on the project, which never should have happened, and at this point we’re just looking for a solution.`
The pump station will be constructed at the intersection of Route 67 and Eastline Road and is supposed to be completed in time to connect to the Saratoga County Water line by July. Clifton Park Water Authority is in agreement to also purchase water from the county system, using the Ballston line, so it will pay for some of the pump station, said Southworth.
Mary Beth Hynes, a board member who also sits on the Saratoga County Water Authority board, said she is relieved to finally be moving forward.
`Although I voted to bond even without the stipulation [that IDA provide some funding] I voted ‘yes,’ as did the others, just so that we can move this forward,` said Hynes. `We are going to have a hard time meeting our July deadline to connect, but I’m relieved that it looks like we’re done for now.`
Hynes said the board voted to send out bid documents for the project and is hoping to open them at the agenda meeting on Tuesday, April 27.
The March 16 meeting was originally scheduled for Monday, March 8, but it was canceled.
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