Town Board Notes
Town Board Notes
Board agrees to take part in pilot project for safe drinking water; $3 million grant to be applied towards upgrading the town’s aging water system
Officials held a socially-distanced monthly meeting in the Town Center on Parkside Drive Wednesday, May 19th and picked up the threads of two plans that took shape several years ago for abundant and safe community water supplies.
The meeting was held in the auditorium of the former Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, overlooking the well-tended grounds of the Nannen Arboretum. As Covid-19 precautions are relaxed, the Town Board's teleconferenced third-Wednesday business sessions will again be open to the public beginning at 6:00pm June 16th in the meeting room at the Town Hall.
After some discussion about a grant award, the Board agreed it makes sense to take part in a pilot project for safe drinking water.
"The reason Ellicottville was selected is that we have a network to work through this (project) that a lot of other towns don't have," said Town and Village Engineer Ben Slotman. He added that the project was "mothballed" for several years and overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, he said, Health Department officials are very eager to work with the town.
The town will receive technical assistance and partner with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health to develop a protection plan for the sources of the community's drinking water. Consultants in the Drinking Water Source Protection Program, or DWSP2 project, have already been assigned in other parts of the state to work with municipal engineering and planning professionals at no local cost. While the town will incur some expense due to staff's role, the budgetary impact is not yet known.
In addition to assessing the municipal water system and distribution facilities serving the community, the rural water resources within the area will also be studied. A wellhead protection plan or other water source protective measures may result and Ellicottville would serve as a model for other rural communities, said Slotman. He described the valley as underlain by an aquifer and there are a range of activities and enterprises upstream in the surrounding hills. The flow of water takes in Ellicottville, Great Valley and beyond to the Allegheny River.
Town and Village Planner Gary Palumbo pointed out the plan will be aired in future public meetings at the Town Center and the town may withdraw at any time. The study may document some potential contamination sources and also lead to other grant funding in the future, he added, with a completed plan incorporating a land use component and made a part of the town's comprehensive plan.
In the Board's discussion, it was noted that many steps have been taken locally to secure the municipal and rural water sources. Several suggested local governments may see future mandates to do these plans and comply with evolving state policies and laws for water use and quality.
Engineering Consultant Seth Krull of Clark Paterson Lee Engineering gave the Board a brief update on the town's Water System Improvement Project. The $5.2 million plan includes upgrades in the aging water system which will be paid for by a $3 million grant under the NYS Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA). A 30-year low interest loan will also be needed. Work may begin as early as this fall once design passes the muster of the state Health Department but will be in full swing during the 2022 construction season.
Krull brought a set of preliminary design documents for the Board to see, depicting water main work along the Main Street right-of-way, as well as some other easements in the service area. Rehabilitation work will improve the water main, repair two storage tanks, booster stations, and well houses.The preliminary design will be sent to the state Health Department for review, coordinated with the Environmental Facilities Corporation. Any needed revisions will be resubmitted, followed by a bidding process that will be divided into four contracts. He said contractors will be required to make the majority of the upgrades during the off-season and assure the job site is in full operation for ski season and other holiday events. More information about the project can be found at EVLengineering.com.
In other utility-related matters, planning work continues with the Town of Great Valley on an intermunicipal agreement for water supplies, while discussions are also underway about potential rate changes for the village-owned sewer system. Town officials will report to Village officials regarding a capital utility project and project funding which may be structured around user fees. The Board will send representatives to the Four Flushers committee meeting May 24th to discuss an ongoing sewer rate study and sewer department revenues. In addition, the Engineering Department will search for two cost estimates and warranty terms before beginning repairs to a centrifugal pump at the Booster Station #2.
Town Supervisor Matt McAndrew reported that a marketing plan for GoBike Buffalo and Regional Trail System will be ready in June and the Village of Ellicottville officials have received a full report on the project. The system will begin development in Ellicottville, starting at the Town Center and park, running along Elk Creek to Elizabeth Street.
In Police Chief Don Auge's absence, McAndrew reported that next week officers will begin police reform training with the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office.